O Diabo e a Caveira (The Devil and Caveira)
by Streusle
Summary: Caveira is one of the most intimidating operators on looks alone. That, combined with her unknown psychological profile is enough to make any operator somewhat uncomfortable around her. But now, her sanity becomes questioned as she begins to reap what she sewed twelve years ago. (Horror story based around Caveira. First attempt at horror, criticism always welcome)
1. Wake

**Quick note just to start things off. This is my first attempt at a horror story. It may not be the scariest, or the best by any means- but I tried. I'm going to keep author's notes at a minimum, and they're not going to be my usual bubbly ones. I don't want to take away from the story. I'm 4 chapters in, but I'm going to try and upload every day so you don't read it too fast. With that being said, enjoy.**

* * *

Caveira stood at her room's window stirring her cup of tea. She stared into pitch black occasionally catching the grounds around Hereford when the flashes of lightening provided light. The thunder rolling through the clouds didn't break her concentration as she continued to stir her tea in her trance.

"Taina?" Bandit called out to her from her bed. She just continued to stare out into nothingness as she slowly swirled her spoon around in her cup. "Taina?" Bandit said again as he stood to walk over to her. Her eyelashes lightly fluttered although her eyes remained still. "Taina!?" he said placing a hand on her shoulder.

Caveira flinched- snapping out of whatever spell she was under. Her hand that stirred her tea stopped moving as she turned to face Bandit.

"You've been staring out the window and stirring your tea for ten minutes now. Are you alright?"

Caveira looked down at her tea in her cup. She took the spoon out to set it aside and take a sip. It was cold.

"I'm fine," she said softly as she looked down into her cup. Bandit studied her face for a moment before turning to lay back on her bed. She was lying, but if he called her on it she would just become disgruntled.

"Would you like to lie down with me?" he asked turning to prop himself up on his side.

Caveira looked back out into the darkness that shrouded their base. She placed her cup down on her desk and turned to slip into bed with Bandit. He pulled a blanket over the both of them as he pulled her to him. She nestled her face into his chest wrapping her arms around him. Bandit looked down at her to kiss the top of her head. He knew she hadn't been feeling well lately. She had been becoming sick off and on, but he was really beginning to worry about her. She would constantly stare out into space for extreme amounts of time without blinking. There would be times where she seemed to be watching someone move about the room but there was no one at the end of her gaze. He would even catch her whispering or talking to herself in Portuguese while she was alone. The thought that maybe her mental status was starting to show worried him. She had no psychological profile, and if anyone else paid enough attention- or even come across her while she was in one of her "trances"- a report could be made to Six that would guarantee her dismissal from Rainbow. All Bandit knew was that he couldn't let that happen. She meant everything to him, and a day in Rainbow without her would feel like a lifetime of loneliness.

Bandit stroked her hair as she began to whisper to herself in Portuguese. He had to strain his hearing to pick up what she was saying. It sounded like, "Pai, Filho, o Espírito (Father, son, the spirit)." Bandit was taken by surprise. She wasn't exactly a religious person, so hearing her pray to above was very unusual. Maybe it was part of her illness. She _did_ have a fever and constant hot flashes after all. Those two things would be enough to make anyone in their line of work a little ways off from themselves. Caveira brought her hands up to cover her face. She seemed to shrink beneath Bandit as he lightly squeezed her. He could feel her skin become damp as she broke out in a cold sweat. Her muscles in her arms and shoulders occasionally quivered as he stroked her back. Her breathing was shallow and labored, almost in a wheeze.

"Taina, do you need to go see Doc?" Bandit asked her with his voice full of worry.

"No. I just need to sleep," she whispered. Bandit sighed as he held onto her. He could only hope that she got better by herself and soon. If she didn't- well, _couldn't_ \- he himself would probably have to say something to Six. Shaking the thought from his head, Bandit placed another kiss on top of Caveira's and closed his eyes to go to sleep.

* * *

Bandit's shivering woke him up in the wee hours of the morning. He opened his eyes to a less than dimly lit room. The sun hadn't even come close to cresting the horizon, and the clouds in the sky had an outline that was only visible if you focused hard enough. Still, it was just enough for Bandit to see that Caveira had opened the window to let in some air. "Dammit, Taina," Bandit grumbled as he stood to shut the window. He then realized that he had in fact woken up alone. She wasn't a morning, or even daytime person- so the odds that she was already starting her day were... Well, none. Her bathroom was empty though, so where could she have been? Bandit pulled on his jacket and started his way to the cafeteria. If he were going to play a game of hide-and-seek with her, he'd have to have some energy. He made his way down the flight of stairs to the ground floor and headed towards the doors to the cafeteria. The only sounds came from behind the service counter as the cooks were getting everything started for the morning. Bandit figured he'd have enough time to wait as he turned to sit at one of the tables before a lone figure at the furthest point of the room caught his eye. The sun had now come up just enough for him to see it was Caveira.

Bandit made his way over to her as quietly as possible to surprise her. She was staring out the window feeding on pineapple chunks from a Styrofoam cup. Bandit stopped to stand and watch her. A smile crept across his face as he did so. Pineapples were her favorite fruit, and she always made sure to eat some when she was feeling better from coming over her sickness. Bandit took long, slow steps as he continued to creep towards her. He was close enough now that he could start to wrap his arms around her. He held his breath and began to lower himself to catch her in his arms.

"Good morning, Dom," Caveira said popping another piece of pineapple into her mouth.

Bandit's arms and shoulders fell as disappoint took place of his happiness. "How did you know I was behind you?" he said taking the seat across from her.

"Because," she began popping another piece of pineapple in her mouth. Bandit eagerly waited for her to swallow so he could hear her answer. "The only person quieter than me is Vigil." Bandit slightly shrugged and nodded his head. She was right after all.

"I see you're feeling better."

Caveira nodded as she continued to watch the sunrise. She held the cup out towards Bandit and gave it a little shake.

"You want one?" Bandit reached in and took a small piece of pineapple.

"Thanks, Babe." Caveira turned to look at Bandit when the light became too much for her eyes.

"I hope you don't mind that I opened the window. I know it was nearly subzero this morning, but I was just so hot."

Bandit lifted a hand to shush her as he finally put the pineapple in his mouth. "I know. I just wish I had a warning before having to find you is all."

Caveira looked a bit guilty as she turned her focus down into her cup. "I'm running low on pineapples. I'll be right back," she said standing to walk to the service line. Bandit watched her walk away. He noticed a decent size bruise on her right elbow, but wrote it off as a bump from walking in the dark. She was feeling better, that's all that mattered right now. Caveira returned with two cups full of pineapple chunks now. She offered one to Bandit, but he respectfully declined.

"You enjoy yourself. You deserve it after these random onsets you've been having." Caveira stared at him for a moment before giving him a subtle nod of thanks. "When you're done here, you want to do some shooting?"

Caveira froze in the middle of putting a pineapple chunk in her mouth. She looked up at Bandit with a queer expression that morphed into delight. "I'd love to do some shooting with you."

* * *

Bandit placed his MP7 down to hit the button that pulled his target to him. He reached across the ledge and pulled it from its clamps. Caveira continued to fire her Luison in the next stall over.

"Scheisse," Bandit grumbled smacking the paper with the back of his hand.

"What's the matter?" Caveira asked peering around the corner.

"My aim is way off. I guess I shouldn't have been staying in the room so much."

Caveira laughed as she stepped over to study the paper that was riddled with bullet holes in the center of the chest and a few off-center the head. "I don't see how your aim was off," she said running her finger over the bullet holes.

"Chest-wise, not at all. I can't get head shots for shit. _Those_ are the ones that really matter."

Caveira shook her head as she put the safety on her Luison and re-holstered it in her leg holster. "Well, looks like we need to do something to get you straightened out, don't we?" she said in a low and sultry voice as she grabbed his jacket to pull him to her. She tilted her head up and met his lips with hers in a deep hot kiss.

"Mmm, if you do anymore of that I just might get thrown further off," Bandit said as he broke away. Caveira gave him a low seductive laugh as she stepped away.

"Why don't we go back to my room and test your aim?" She grabbed Bandit's hand and turned away to leave the range before looking over her shoulder at Bandit with bedroom eyes. "Come on, Dominic. I want to see if you can hit my mark."

Caveira and Bandit started to leave the indoor range and head to her room when they came upon the other operators and a following of recruits rushing into the cafeteria.

"Hmm, I wonder what that's about," Bandit said as he turned his attention to the herd.

"Do you want to stop and see?" Caveira asked slowing her pace to a halt.

"I would, just to be nosy," Bandit said now pulling Caveira to the cafeteria.

Inside, a group of S.A.S. recruits were being surrounded and congratulated on completing their first supervised hostage extraction. Thatcher was shaking hands with each recruit, followed by Smoke, Mute, and Sledge.

"Ahh, the little bastards actually made it," Bandit said as he watched everyone celebrating.

"I hope so. What would the S.A.S. be doing with their time if they didn't?" Caveira asked looking over at Bandit.

"Hmm. You've got me there," he said shrugging. "Either way, it's not _my_ ass on the line. Let's get back to work," he said making his way towards the exit. Caveira, against her own nature, obediently followed behind.

* * *

Caveira moaned deeply as she ran the nails of her right hand down Bandit's back and dug the fingertips of her left into his back. He was between her legs on top of her, slowly thrusting himself in and out of her. Her breath floating across his neck summoned goosebumps to ripple throughout his flesh. "Dominic," she lightly breathed into his ear as one of his hands slithered up her body to take its place on her throat, pressing lightly with dominance. Caveira's moans grew lighter as she felt herself nearing her climax. Her legs quivered as they wrapped around Bandit's. Her body was hot and damp with sweat as Bandit's pumps threatened to throw her into an orgasm. She tilted her head back ready to descend into euphoria when her body grew cold and rigid. Her chest felt heavy as if she were trying to hold her breath in the deepest part of the ocean despite her ability to breathe. She opened her eyes as she felt herself slip into panic. Her eyes met with the ceiling that slowly began to turn black as if it were finally starting to show years of stagnant water damage. The blackness spread out in branches, like veins becoming visible through skin.

Caveira shut her eyes tight trying her best to turn her focus back onto Bandit. She reopened her eyes to see what looked like skeletal fingers slowly emerge from the center of the stain. The walls seemed to grow taller around them as she stared at the spot on the ceiling. Caveira squeezed her eyes shut again lowering her face into the crook of Bandit's neck. She opened only one eye this time, and looked back up to see the hand still falling towards them. There were what looked like big drops of tar pooling around the arm that now slithered from the darkness. She shut her eye closed again burrowing her face into Bandit's neck as she felt deep waves run through her body. She cried out throwing her head back as she heard someone whispering her name in the back of her mind. _Tainaaaaa!_ she heard inside her head again as she cried out once more. She could swear she heard her moans echoing as she opened her eyes to complete darkness. "Taina!"

Caveira's eyes snapped open to see Bandit's face above hers. She was hot, sweaty, and panting as much as he was. "Y-yeah?" she said placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you feeling well?" Bandit asked her pushing himself up. Caveira turned her focus onto the ceiling. It was normal. She pulled herself up to a sitting position and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Ah, yeah. Why?" she asked.

"You started crying right before you came, and when you did- you nearly ripped my flesh right off the bone," Bandit said turning for her to see the deep scratches she had left in his back and neck. She looked down at her nails to see the little bits and pieces of tissue still caught underneath them.

"I'm sorry. You were just really laying it on me is all," Caveira said with a short laugh.

"I'll say I was," Bandit said standing to pull his shirt on.

"I'm going to shower and catch up with the rest of the team, are you coming down as well?" Caveira nodded her head as she moved to stand.

"Good. I'll see you later then," he said giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Eu te amo (I love you)," he said with a short chuckle as he left. Caveira smiled shaking her head and waving as he walked down the hallway to go to his room. She closed her door and leaned heavily against it, closing her eyes and sliding to the floor. She thought about the images she had seen, and mulled over as many logical reasons she could have seen them mid sex. The only conclusion she could come to was that she was losing it. She knew she needed to gain control, and she needed it fast...


	2. Called to Action

_"Would Specialist Perreira please report to Six's office. Specialist Perreira, please report to Six's office."_

Caveira rolled her eyes as she turned over in bed. She wasn't in the mood for being scolded about her behavior today even though she had made sure to be as polite as possible recently. Still, she rose from her bed and changed into a casual set of clothes. She pushed her hair up into a messy high ponytail, and started on her way down to Six's office. Bandit was in the hall talking to Jager when Caveira passed by.

"I'll catch up with you later," she heard Bandit say as she continued to stroll. The sound of his sneaker clad feet grew louder as he caught up to her. "No makeup today?" Bandit joked as he draped an arm over her shoulders.

"I didn't have time for it. _Mother_ wants to see me," Caveira retorted earning a short laugh from Bandit.

"Do you want me to come in case she decides to discipline you?"

Caveira couldn't fight back the sly smile that took over her face, "It would be nice to know you're there I guess."

The couple reached the doors to Six's office, and Caveira reluctantly opened a door to step in. Bandit gripped the door before it closed catching Caveira by surprise. She thought he would have just waited outside. Was he _trying_ to give Six more reason to be upset with her?

"Ahh, nice to see you this evening Mr. Brunsmeier," Six said taking a seat at her desk. She was accompanied by Blitz, IQ, Twitch, and Thermite.

"I guess this isn't a reprimanding seeing as the goody-goods are here," Caveira said looking between the other operators.

"Easy girl," Bandit said to her brushing her forearm with his fingertips. Six just gave her a small smile.

"I've called you in here to send you on a mission. I know that you're expertise is usually used for defense operations, but seeing as we had a hard time gathering intel, we need you." Six motioned for Caveira and Bandit to take a seat with the others as she presented slides from her projector on the screen behind her. "The White Masks have taken a hostage in Tuscany, Italy. Our target is one of the members of Vinciguerra family, a family of criminal's who have smuggled everything from hard drugs to children from other countries to be sold into slavery. Specialist Martello and Specialist de Luca have been injured in the process of gathering our intel. We suspect they may be working with the family in an attempt to draw us out for an ambush. Caveira," she said turning her focus onto her. "We need you to interrogate one of the members of the Vinciguerra's to find out their main objective concerning us. You're our only hope in this situation."

Caveira took no effort in hiding her grimace. She was more of the type that waited for their prey to come to them, not to chase the prey.

"She'll do it," Bandit said leaning forward. "I only ask that I come too."

Six looked down her nose at the couple that sat at the back of the room before motioning her approval. "You all will be leaving in two hours. Thermite, you lead the team. Dismissed." Everyone except for Caveira and Bandit stood to file out. They waited until everyone had gotten ahead before making their exit as well.

"You decided to volunteer me?" Caveira seethed as she walked with Bandit.

"Your fate was already sealed. Six wasn't exactly asking you if you _would_ do it, you know?" Caveira rolled her eyes looking at everything in the opposite direction of his position beside her. "I can make it up to you, Taina. We won't be there long after all. You're the best interrogator in the whole world, we'll be in and out in five minutes." Caveira shook her head as she smiled to herself. Bandit could be such a kiss ass.

"And how would you make it up to me?" she asked looking at him as they walked up the stairs to her floor.

"Come, I'll show you."

* * *

Caveira sat on Bandit's lap with her hands caressing his face. He stroked her back as she slowly rolled her hips riding him in a rhythm. Their lips melted into each other in hot kisses between panting breaths. "I love you," Bandit whispered pulling away from Caveira.

She giggled as she planted another kiss on his lips, "I love _you_." Caveira ran her hands around Bandit's neck to run her fingers through his auburn hair, clenching it tightly in her hands. Bandit's hands ran down Caveira's back to grip her ass as he came, smiling upwards at her after she reached her own orgasm. It wasn't pant-worthy, but it was still invigorating and sensual as if it were.

"I told you I'd make it up to you," Bandit joked with a low laugh.

"You're right," Caveira said placing another kiss on his lips and hopping up off of his lap. "We need to get ready, let's go," Caveira said walking into her bathroom.

"We still have another hour," Bandit said lying down and getting comfy.

"Minus the time it takes to lift off. You know that, Dominic," Caveira called from the other room.

"Can we at least shower together?" Bandit whined.

"Yes! Just start getting ready!"

* * *

The squad of six sat in the back of and armored truck on the way to their extraction site. Upon arrival they had approximately one minute to locate the hostage and alert each other of any hostiles on site. Caveira sharpened her knife on the way there as Bandit played with one of his batteries.

"Why do you even need a battery? We're not going to be reinforcing anything, or even taking the time to defend the hostage," Blitz said.

Bandit looked up at Blitz between sparks, "Because I like to party," came his simple reply.

Blitz just shrugged it off turning his focus to Caveira. Her lips moved as she sharpened her blade, but there was no sound coming from her lips. Blitz touched IQ's knee behind his shield and pointed at Caveira with his finger when IQ turned to look.

"She's talking to herself," he said to IQ in German.

"Maybe she's finally gone insane," IQ replied in their language.

"Did you forget there's three of us here and I can hear you?" Bandit chimed in holding the clamps together for a continuous spark. Blitz and IQ looked away, their face turning slightly pink from embarrassment. It wasn't that they forgot Bandit was here, they had just forgotten he was in a relationship with the crazy Brazilian lady.

"What did they say?" Caveira asked looking away from her reflection in her knife to stare at them.

"They said your knife looks very sharp, and you'll get a lot of intel." Caveira squint her eyes as she gave them a devious smile.

"Thank you," she said sliding her knife back in her sheath.

"Not a problem," Blitz said with a nervous laugh.

Caveira smiled harder thinking about how more nervous Blitz's laugh would have been if he had known that she knew exactly what he said. After all, you don't date someone who speaks another language without wanting to learn a bit on your own, right? Too bad Bandit had insisted she play ignorant, although it was kind of nice since she could stack up the reasons for when she finally snapped.

"We should be arriving shortly," Thermite said checking his watch to make sure they were on schedule.

"Good. The sooner we get in the, the quicker I can jab my knife into their-" Caveira was cut short as the sounds of scraping metal and shattering glass filled the air. Her body flung forward, colliding with the bench opposite from her. She could feel blood running from her mouth as she screamed.

"TAINA!"

Caveira opened her eyes and looked up. She was on her knees, shaking heavily with fear.

"What happened?" IQ asked looking over at Bandit who helped her off the floor.

"She just had a flashback, it's alright."

Caveira slid back into her seat leaning on Bandit. She was breathing rapid shaky breaths.

"How long will it take to calm her down? We need to move out," Thermite said opening the doors to the back of the armored truck as it came to a halt.

"Taina, we're at the extraction site. Are you with me?" Bandit said lifting her face to his.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said breaking away from him.

"Alright then, let's go!" Blitz said hopping out behind Thermite. IQ and Twitch were next, and Bandit had started to go when Caveira pushed past him. He had seen her act this way before. She wasn't angry, her pride was hurt and she was embarrassed. It was one thing for her to have her hallucinations around Bandit, but to freak out in front of the rest of the team (especially when she heard two of them call her crazy) was very humiliating.

"Alright, we'll drone the area out first, find the hostage, and then insert," Thermite said pulling his drone out and tossing it over the fence towards the house.

"I guess we'll just get comfortable," Bandit said sitting in the grass just outside the fence. Caveira decided to make herself busy with her Luison.

"Dammit," Thermite said putting his phone back in his pocket. "They killed my drone."

IQ put her phone away as well, "Mine too. I'll just look with Twitch."

Everyone waited for what seemed like eternity as Twitch and Blitz droned the house.

"I'm not seeing anyone except for the Masks," Blitz said full of disappointment.

"Alright, looks like we're gonna have to go in slow. Thank God we have you Caveira, otherwise this would be harder than necessary," Thermite said picking up his gun.

"Yeah, because God forbid _you_ have to do anything," Caveira muttered as Bandit stood up.

"Easy girl, save it for the bedroom," Bandit said giving her a slap on her bottom. Caveira just gave him a playful sneer as they started towards the house from the main gate. Everyone took their positions near a side door with their guns ready.

"When we come in here, we'll turn right and there will be a staircase to our left. I'll take upstairs with Blitz," IQ said.

"I can take the ground floor with Thermite, that way Bandit and Caveira can have some alone time," Twitch offered.

"I guess if there's a basement that's where we'll be," Bandit added in. Thermite gave the barricade over the door three hits with the butt of his gun. The barricade fell apart, and he took on his offensive stance.

"Alright everyone, move in."

* * *

 **I** **apologize for this chapter being so short. It was more of a gateway chapter. Chapter 3 will be posted tomorrow. Thank you for reading**


	3. It Watches

Bandit's P12 firing two shots echoed throughout the basement Caveira and Bandit took charge of. Bandit was leading the way, but Caveira was itching to take charge of her own self and lurk for her prey. Bandit taking off to the right gave Caveira the chance she needed as she pressed forward. She could smell wine coming from a barricaded room just ahead to her right. Judging by the big barrels directly across from the entrance, it was a wine cellar of some sort. Caveira slunk her way to the door, gripping her Luison tight. She took a deep breath and knocked a hole in the barricade. She stepped back just before a shower of bullets came whirring through the barricade.

"Where are they?" she heard a Mask cry from inside the door.

"I don't know, I'm gonna go check it out," a second Mask said as she crouched just behind the wall beside the door. The soft thudding of footsteps as the second Mask made his way to the barricade to bust it open was music to her ears. The Mask stepped out, unaware of the danger behind him.

Caveira fired five bullets into his back. He cried out as he fell to the floor.

"What the fuck!?" she heard the first Mask yell from inside as she swapped clips.

The small sounds of shuffling barely dropped in volume as he changed his position to the farthest part of the room. Caveira crouched holding her Luison in one hand and reaching out with the other. She crept into the room hastily making her way behind a bar near the entrance.

"I've got this. I can do it," she heard the Mask reassure himself.

She gave him an 'A' for effort, but the tone of his voice combined with the slight way it trembled told her he was less than confident. Caveira moved from behind the bar and held her gun at the ready. She extended her left leg as far as possible before quickly pulling herself into view.

"Hosti-" the Mask began to yell, but was quickly cut short as Caveira fired ten bullets into his upper body. He dropped his gun, and fell to the floor. He groaned in serious pain as Caveira made her way over to him. She grabbed him by the neck of his jacket and turned him over.

"Get ready to talk, desgraçado..."

Caveira gripped his mask and began to take it off. She was ready to interrogate him, but the sight she saw was too great for even her to stomach. The tissue of his face stuck to the mask in strings, stretching like melted cheese. The muscles of his face ripped apart at the fibers as they too partially came off with his skin. His eyes looked milky and yellow, but upon closer inspection- Caveira could see the sockets were infested with maggots. Caveira began to hyperventilate before conjuring a scream. She was paralyzed with fear. Completely unable to move, only stare at him and scream. The Mask she had shot earlier stood in the doorway. He lifted a shaky arm to point his gun at the back of Caveira's head. He was so close to squeezing the trigger when two loud shots rang out throughout the basement. The Mask that Caveira straddled for interrogation wriggled free to bring his right fist across her face. She fell off of him, colliding against the wall. Bandit shot two more times at the second Mask, killing him with two shots in the head before he could even reach his gun.

Caveira sat against the wall with her knees to her chest and her head down.

"Caveira," Bandit said sitting beside her.

"Is she alright?" Twitch called from the entry way.

"Yeah, she's fine," Bandit said as reassuringly as possible.

"Well, we captured the Vinciguerra they were holding hostage. They kept moving him around, but we ran into them while they were moving. We can go home soon."

Bandit nodded as he comforted Caveira. She was violently trembling, but Bandit couldn't tell if it was from pain or from fear.

"Look at me," he said placing a hand on her back.

She lifted her face, looking first over at the Mask. His face was normal. He looked like an average male. Bandit pulled her face towards his. Some of her face paint was rubbed off from the Masks punch, and her eye had begun to swell as it was already bruised. It angered him, but he had already killed the Mask who done it, so what more could he do?

"Come, we need to get ice on that," Bandit said taking her by the hands and helping her up.

Caveira wrapped her arms around Bandit's waist as they made their way out of the basement through the barricaded entryway that led outside. The rest of their team were busy talking to the local law enforcement and handing over the hostage as they made their way back to the armored truck.

Bandit opened the doors and helped Caveira inside before joining her. "What happened down there? You're never one to let your guard down."

Caveira turned her head away from him. She didn't know what to tell him. How do you tell someone that you saw someone's face melting off when they were perfectly fine?

"Taina, you can tell me," Bandit said placing a hand on her knee.

Caveira shook her head turning to look at him, "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me..."

The way she looked at Bandit was so... Pitiful. He could tell she was going through something very extreme, and the fact that it affected her so badly that she felt no one would believe her hurt him deeply.

"Taina, I promise you can tell me," Bandit pleaded. Caveira shook her head looking back down as the rest of the team joined them in the back of the truck.

"Six would like for us to report to her office when we get back to base," Thermite said pulling his phone from his ear. Caveira sighed. The 'us' he was referring to was actually her. She knew he told Six about her little mishap and not retrieving the information Six wanted. Great, just what Caveira needed.

* * *

Everyone stood around Six's desk. She peered down her nose at her team, and although she wore her typical smiling neutral expression, she radiated utter disappointment.

"It's nice to see you all back in my office unscathed," she said looking down at the case file. "But, I'm missing intel on whether the Vinciguerra's are working with the Masks. Caveira," she said looking back up at the Brazilian. "What happened?"

Caveira swallowed hard looking down. "I was too confident with myself, and left Bandit's side to take on some Masks by myself. One caught me off guard, and another almost killed me. I was shaken up pretty badly. I apologize for not completing my duty."

Everyone could tell by the look in Six's eyes that she didn't exactly believe her. Caveira wasn't one to be easily spooked. She practically _lived_ for the danger, so what made this mission any different?

"Ma'am, Taina's not felling well again. I'm sure you know that she's been fighting many fevers. I think her performance today was due to another fever coming on. It's just a bunch of bad timing is all," Bandit spoke up to defend her.

Six glanced over at Bandit before giving the group a single nod. "So it seems. Never mind no interrogation, you all did what you were supposed to do regardless. Dismissed."

Everyone turned to leave. Caveira was the fastest out of them all, hastily making her way out of Six's office to go to her room. She wanted to cry. Something she absolutely didn't do, but she was tortured by images and experiences she couldn't tell anyone. Not even her significant other. She felt alone, trapped inside of her mind.

"Taina! Taina wait," Bandit said catching her by her arm.

"What, Dominic? What!?" Caveira said whipping herself around to face him. The black tears streaming down her face caught Bandit off guard. What was happening with her?

"I want you to talk to me. Tell me what's going on!" Bandit had practically shouted that last part. Everyone walking around the first floor had almost stopped to stare at them. It was embarrassing.

"Just leave me alone," Caveira cried pushing Bandit's hand off of her arm. She ran up the stairs as fast as she could all the way up to the third floor. Her footsteps seemed to echo into silence as she ran into her room, slamming the door and crawling into bed. She pulled her bed sheet high over her head, and wept until she fell asleep.

* * *

Caveira felt arms wrapping around her, holding onto her tight. _Taina..._ She heard a voice call out to her. It was distant, but it was so loud. It was like it was right in her ear. _Taina,_ it called again. Caveira opened her eyes to darkness, the only light there was surrounded her and the immediate area around her feet. She felt a pain in her throat as she tried to breathe but couldn't. She was choking. _Taina, wake up..._ Caveira fell to her knees. She could feel herself slipping away as her lack of oxygen began to kill her. She looked up in an attempt to find where the light was coming from. Nothing but darkness above and around her, the only light was below. _"Taina!"_ Caveira coughed as she took in a deep breath of air. Her eyes snapped open to look at her wall. She was on her side, and she could feel someone's arms around her.

"Dom?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Ja, mein liebe?" he responded pulling her closer to him. She turned to look over her shoulder at him, and he sat himself up. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"Nothing," she whispered giving him her look that beckoned for him. He leaned down to give her a kiss, slipping one of his legs between hers. She needed this. It was her comfort.

Caveira scratched her nails down Bandit's back as he bit into her neck. Their labored breathing cause from multiple orgasms they pushed themselves through to keep the night long. She was close to another climax when the air grew heavy in a matter of seconds. It was hard for her to breathe again. Caveira opened her eyes. As if being told to, she looked to the left corner above her window. She wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but in the dimly lit darkness- she thought she could see someone sitting up there. Their feet were planted on both walls, and their knees were bent- more like squatting. Their forearms rested on their knees, and their face was nothing but a solid shadow. She could hear the sound of a low rumble in her ears. The more she stared at the figure, the louder the rumbling seemed to get. She could feel the bass vibrating her eardrums. Her eyes started to hurt as if they were being strained beyond their visual limit.

"Taina?" Bandit whispered looking down at her. She was in another trance, staring up at her ceiling. Her breathing was shallow, almost non-existent. Although it was very quiet, he could hear her making noise. He put his ear next to her mouth, and identified the sounds as sounds of choking.

"Taina!? Taina!?" he said shaking her by her shoulders. He lightly slapped her face, luckily pulling her back to reality.

"Dominic?" she whispered with a raspy voice.

"Shhh," Bandit shushed her caressing her face. "Let's just go to sleep, ja? I love you." He pulled himself from between her legs to lie beside her.

"I love you too," Caveira replied turning to face him. Bandit wrapped her in his arms, and within a few moments fell asleep. For Caveira, it felt like hours upon hours before sleep was finally able to take her again.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 coming soon. Thank you for reading and supporting me~**


	4. In the Hall, Without A Heartbeat

**Before we begin, I'd like to thank Ubi for giving us the Operation Chimera soundtrack. Without it, I highly doubt I could have come up with the tone for this whole story, let alone this chapter. Also, I'm sorry it's so short, but please- enjoy**. **(Chapter 5 coming soon)**

* * *

Caveira woke up covered in tiny droplets of sweat. Her room and body both felt like they were burning hot. She stood up from her bed to open her window. It was freezing outside, but the air felt wonderful wrapping around her skin. _Taina..._ The hair on the back of her neck stood up as the feeling she was being watched came over her. She turned around to see her door cracked open. Her first thought was that Bandit didn't close it all the way, but he was careful to make sure her door was both completely shut and locked if they were going to have sex. She reached for her knife and her Luison before turning to look down at her clock. 3 a.m. sharp. _Come..._ Caveira jumped as she looked back towards her door. The command was in a whisper, but it was so loud in her mind it sounded like it came from right outside her door. She began to walk towards her door, reaching for the handle with a shaky hand. Her fingertips barely touched the freezing metal when a shadow passed by the crack in her door disrupting the light from the hallway. Caveira stood still watching the small opening for anymore movement and listening for any sound. There was someone awake and messing with her. Had to be...

 _Go..._ Caveira heard over her shoulder. She moved to turn her head to see, but her attention was immediately forced back into the hallway, almost as if someone had placed their hands on her head to change the direction she was facing. She gripped the door handle, and pulled the door open. The air in the hallway was noticeably heavier than in her room. It was like wading through water as she walked slowly throughout the hall. She stepped slowly down the stairs, fighting to keep her balance. She felt like she were being pulled by the front of her shirt while being pushed on her back. She didn't know where she was going, she only knew she had to walk. The second floor was dimmer than the third. The halogen lights above casting an eerie blue glow. Caveira had started to turn right when she heard a sharp whisper behind her. _Turn..._ She placed a hand on the stone wall beside her, afraid to do as the voice instructed. _Look at meeeee..._ Caveira tried to fight the urge to turn around, but her body wasn't cooperating with her.

Her left foot stepped behind her, and her right pushed her into a pivot. The same figure she had seen earlier during the night stood in front of her with its back turned. It's body was thin and skeletal. It wore on its head a hood that melded into its shoulders. As for the figure itself, it was an unearthly blackness. Caveira could feel her heart rippling in her chest. Her arms felt like lead as she lifted her Luison. She grabbed her knife with her free hand, and brought it under the wrist of her other arm. The figure then twisted its body around to face her, the creaking of its joints and folding of its skin filling the air. It had no face that she could see, only a mouth whose teeth were more like intertwined roots. Every breath it took was deep and shaky, as if it had lungs that were scarred and barely functioning. Caveira tightened her grip on her knife as the shadow began to creep towards her. What looked like tar fell off of its arms, and had begun to decay the floor as the droplets made contact. It lifted one long, skeletal arm out towards her. Her breath hitched as sharp fingertips presented themselves in front of her face. Fighting against her paralysis- Caveira closed her eyes, opened her mouth to scream, and began to fire.

* * *

Bandit woke up shivering. It was pitch black in Caveira's room, but he knew his way around fairly well. He sat up on her bed, and reached out in the darkness towards her bedside table. He found the cord for her lamp and gave it a small tug. Nothing. _Bulb must have died_ , he figured. Now that he thought about it, her alarm clock wasn't even on. He felt around for it in its typical location and found it. It was turned around. Bandit turned it to face him. 3:33 a.m. "Dammit," he grumbled as he stood up. He reached forward towards her window and found the ledge. He pulled down on it until it closed, and turned to get back in bed. He had almost lied completely back down when he noticed that he was alone in Caveira's room again. _It's too early for pineapples, where is she?_ Bandit stood from her bed to feel around for his sweatpants. He tugged them on and reached out towards the door. He turned the knob to leave, but when he pulled on the door it didn't move. He felt the locks, they were all secured. _She locked herself out?_ Bandit turned the locks open and stepped out into the hallway. It was freezing, but he didn't have a shirt or jacket with him. He figured he would just have to brace it.

"Taina!?" he loudly whispered as he began to go down the stairs. "Taina!?" he called out again on the landing of the second floor before moving to go down again.

 _Here..._ Bandit stopped in his tracks before making his way down to the first floor. He moved back to go back up the stairs. Caveira was standing at the corner of the wall where the hallway broke to the right.

"Taina," Bandit called to her walking back up the steps. She held her Luison in her right hand, and she was slowly patting her outer thigh with it. "Taina?" Bandit called out to her again.

"Do you want to die, Dominic?"

Bandit stopped walking towards her unsure that he had heard her correctly.

"What?" he asked turning to hear her better.

"Do you want to _die,_ Dominic?" she asked again before turning around and pointing her Luison at Bandit.

Bandit put both of his hands up in front of him. If she was messing with him, this wasn't very funny at all.

"Taina, what are you doing?" She didn't answer she only smirked. Bandit proceeded towards her, slowly and carefully.

"Taina, I know that you've been fevered, and you've been through some shit because of it; but please don't mess with me like this," Bandit pleaded. "Just give me your gun, and we can go back to sleep." He slowly reached towards her gun, his fingertips nearly touching the attachment.

Caveira moved her right index finger, and squeezed the trigger. She released fourteen of her fifteen rounds into his torso. Bandit fell onto his back. Blood had begun to leak from the corners of his mouth, and his body began to feel heavy and cold. He gathered up his strength to pull himself away as he looked towards his feet at Caveira who stood with her Luison close to her face. She began to take small steps forward, smiling Bandit's favorite deviant smile.

"Taina," Bandit breathed out now struggling to pull himself away.

"Taina, don't..." He coughed sending splatters of blood all over the floor.

He could see the footprints Caveira left in the short smear of blood he left as he pulled himself away. She pointed her gun at him as she continued to step towards him. Bandit hit the last step on the stairs leading up to the third floor. There was no way he'd be able to pull himself up there.

"Taina, please," Bandit croaked as he started to bring up an arm to shield himself. His plea fell on deaf ears as Caveira shot him through the underside of his chin. His body went limp, and the gargle of his breath leaving his lungs through the blood in his throat filled the air. Caveira pulled her Luison back up to her face, closing her eyes and smiling with the utmost pleasure.

* * *

Caveira gasped as she snapped her eyes open. She looked down at her feet and her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. She felt as if the air had been knocked out of her as she gazed upon Bandit's lifeless and bullet-ridden body. She finally found it in her to let out a shrill scream as she threw herself down on her knees beside him.

"Dominic!? _DOMINIC!?_ " She placed her hands on either side of his face.

Judging by the warmth of his skin, he hadn't been dead very long if he wasn't clinging to life by any chance.

"SOMEONE!" she screamed out into the hallway as she held Bandit to her. She was hysterical, and very much in denial. The door at the end of the hallway opened, and there stood Twitch.

"Gustave!" she called out opening her door. Doc stepped into the hallway with Twitch and sprang into action upon seeing Bandit and Caveira.

"Move, move!" he said shooing Caveira out of the way.

Caveira stood against the wall of the stairwell watching over Doc's shoulder as he checked Bandit's pulse. He shook his head before taking off his pajama shirt to place it over Bandit's face. Caveira held her face in her hands as she shrieked. Doc stood up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm going to take her to her room," he said to Twitch as he started up the stairs with her.

She leaned on him crying the whole way. Lamenting her pain in heavy sobs and loud cries.

"I'm so sorry my dear girl," he whispered as Caveira slunk into bed.

He stepped out, closing the door to her room gently. She heard distorted voices outside of her door, no doubt talking about what they had just heard.

"It's nothing. Go back to bed," Doc said outside of her door. The voices of the other's faded out, and the world faded out with them.


	5. Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned

**After being informed that the dialogue is hard to read/understand and it was making my story hard to read- I decided to clean it up by spacing everything out. Sorry for the sudden change in format. Chapter 6 will be coming later today since I didn't upload yesterday. Enjoy**

* * *

Caveira sat on her bed with her legs to her chest. She rested her head on her knees as she silently wept missing Bandit. It had been a week since his funeral, and she still couldn't bring herself to socialize with any of the other operators. Not even Capitao with whom she was the closest to. The speculations before, during, and even after the funeral were too much. Everyone was on edge about who could have done it. The base wasn't the same afterwards. Especially after Caveira had spoken to the coroner after the autopsy. The bullets pulled from his torso were 9mm rounds, and although many operators had pistols that used the same ammo- the fact that no one heard a single shot fired was more than telling enough. She had had visions ever since her meet up with the coroner. She could see Bandit stepping towards her, the bullets ripping his flesh open as they were fired into him, she could even see the kill shot of the final bullet through his chin. Every time she had a flashback, she felt that sudden heaviness accompanied with the shadow she had seen so many times before.

A low growl came from deep inside of her stomach. She hadn't eaten anything after the funeral. She endured the hunger pains by sleeping them off. In all honesty, she slept all the pain off the best she could. But whenever she began to dream, the creature that haunted her would tear her away and wake her up. She figured that maybe this was her penance for her past. She had always heard stories of omens that brung warnings to those who were close to their sentence of damnation while growing up in Brazil. She'd always put it off as just religious superstition, she knew she was smarter than to believe something so ludicrous. But upon the arrival of this thing that watched her and the horrible visions that drove her to killing Bandit- Caveira could only believe the stories. And now, here she sat starving herself in her room, afraid that she would do it all again. She lied back down on her bed, and hugged her pillow tightly. Tears slipped between her eyelashes after making their way through her tightly shut lids.

IQ, Jager, and Blitz all sat together poking at their plates. It was hard to really enjoy themselves without Bandit there making a mockery of any and everything they did. Blitz cleared his throat dropping his fork, "You know, I always said I couldn't wait for the day Dominic wasn't here to pester me, but now I can't stand the silence."

IQ and Jager both looked up at him. He held his head in one of his hands and his face was covered with anguish.

"I know what you mean. It's one thing to be killed out in the field, but killed on base with no one being made aware of anything? How does that happen?" Jager added in.

IQ looked nervously around the cafeteria. She leaned in and whispered, "What if Taina did it? Elias and I saw her talking to herself when we were in Italy. I think she's unstable."

Jager shook his head, "She and Dom were real. I wouldn't think in a million years she would do anything to him."

Blitz lifted his head just then, "And that's a perfect reason of why it could have been her. No one would think _she_ would." Blitz opened his mouth to continue when Capitao came walking by. Blitz looked down at his tray pretending to be interested with the contents of his plate. Capitao stopped and turned towards the Germans.

"Maybe it'd just be better to leave it alone," he said before going on his way. Not wanting to cause any drama, the Germans heeded his advice.

* * *

Caveira strolled through the halls of Hereford, tracing her fingers along the crude stone walls. She was exhausted, and her body felt like it wanted to give out. Trudging her way down the stairs and through the first floor, she found herself in front of the double doors to Hereford's recent addition. It was a Chapel that Six had installed in an unused storage space near the back of the base. Since there were more recruits coming in with spiritual and religious beliefs, she decided to give them a place for them to be able to practice. Caveira placed a hand on one of the heavy wooden doors. She took a deep breath and pushed it open. The smell of fresh lumber awoke her senses as she stepped inside. The downlights in the ceiling running along the walls were dimly lit, barely allowing her to see the colors on the stained glass windows. However, at the front of the Chapel, the statue of the Virgin Mary and the altar just under her were brilliantly illuminated from above. Caveira swallowed hard as she made her way to the front of the Chapel. She placed her hands on the altar, running her fingers along the red banner that lay on top. She sighed taking a step back to fall on her knees. She looked upwards to the statue of Mary, then bowed her head to pray to whoever was above.

"Taina?" a familiar voice with a French accent called out. Caveira stood up, turning to see Lion walking between the rows of pews towards the front of the Chapel. "I didn't know you were part of the Faith," he said placing a rosary around one of the cross statues on the altar.

Caveira grabbed onto her left arm and pulled it close to her, "Oh, I'm not really into that..."

Lion raised an eyebrow as he studied her face, "Then why are you here?"

Caveira looked away in an attempt to hide her uncertainty. She wasn't exactly sure why either- but she felt deep down inside that maybe she _did_ believe. And in that small belief, she needed some sort of salvation or forgiveness.

"I just- Can we talk?" Caveira said barely above a whisper. Lion nodded his head motioning to her to sit in one of the pews. Caveira sat in the middle of the first pew on the left, and Lion took a spot beside her. Caveira stared at the floor unblinking. She took in a deep breath before looking back up at the statue of Mary. "I've been hearing and seeing things. At first I thought that maybe it was because of the fevers..."

She paused to close her eyes. She threatened to break down as the images of whatever it was that had been bothering her filled her mind. Lion waited, studying her face to see exactly what she was feeling. "There's this thing that's been following me... I feel like I know it from somewhere, but it won't let me sleep. It watches me. It- it _talks_ to me..." Caveira gasped as she couldn't swallow back her emotions anymore. Tears began to stream from her eyes and stain her cheeks. "Olivier, do you believe that confessions have to be to priests?" she said looking up at him.

Lion shook his head, "I know that's part of my religion, but I believe a confession gets to God whether you confess to a priest or not."

Caveira wiped her eyes looking back down at the floor. "Will you keep this between us?" Lion nodded his head and gave her his word that he would. Caveira sniffled wiping her face again. "The night that Bandit died..." She stopped to catch her breath. She shook her head and looked upward in an attempt to roll her tears back behind her eyes. "I keep having visions of him getting shot. I watch him die in my mind so many times. _I_ was the one who killed him," Caveira cried. She dropped her face in her hands as she loudly wept. Lion could feel her grief radiate into the air, but the chills that ran up and down his spine at her confession made his skin crawl.

"I thought I was shooting at... At that _thing._ It was there in front of me. I promise- I was trying to kill _it,_ not Dom..." she croaked through heavy tears and hysterical sobs. The way that Lion looked at her was like a fawn at a wolf. He was scared. Terrified. Whatever she was facing- it was very serious. Whatever _it_ was had caused her to gun down the person she considered her lover. God forbid it mess with her head and have her kill someone else in Rainbow. As far as he knew now- every night she was at Hereford from here on out was a potential night for killing.

"Taina, what if I told you I know someone who could help you." Caveira sat up to look at him. Even in the dim lighting Lion could see how swollen her eyes already were from crying.

"There's someone who can help me?"

Lion sighed before nodding. "I do believe that he can. But we'll have to travel to France in order to see him. Would you be willing to do that?"

Caveira shook her head 'yes' as she wiped her eyes. "I don't have Dominic anymore, there's nothing for me here..."

It was Lion's turn to look at the statue of Mary as the last part of her sentence resonated with him. He had been in her shoes before, and he felt exactly where she was coming from. "I'll talk to Six about taking a leave as soon as possible. I don't know how soon we'll be able to go, but I promise you we'll get there quickly. For now, let us pray." Caveira nodded her head as she joined Lion in front of the altar. They fell on their knees with their hands clasped together under their chin. Caveira let herself get lost in the words as Lion began to pray, _"Hail Mary, full of grace..."_


	6. The Journey to Salvation

Caveira paced in her room as she waited. Lion had called a one-on-one with Six to ask about taking a weeks leave.

"If I tell her it's for religious reasons, she'll believe me. She can't ask me about it anyways, it's against conduct," he told her before going.

She had asked him not to use her name and to just hint at another operator needing to take leave. Lion shook his head in disagreement. If Six didn't know who he was taking with him, it would make his request suspicious, and if Six had reasonable doubt on why an operator wanted to leave- then she had every right to deny said request. Caveira sighed as she continued to pace. Why did everything around Hereford have to be so damn complicated? Knocking on her door caught her attention. She made her way across her room to turn the knob and pull it open.

"What did she say?" Caveira said upon seeing Lion standing there.

"She seemed very skeptical at first, but she's allowed it. We'll be able to leave tomorrow."

Caveira sighed a sigh of relief. She had been so worried that Six wouldn't allow her to go because of her behavior.

"I would start getting ready now. I asked her to for an 8 a.m. takeoff time. We'll take a three hour drive to London, then depart to Toulouse. We'll arrive by 1 o'clock. Got it?"

Caveira nodded her head and thanked him. He really didn't have to do this for her, but it meant so much that he did. He gave her a small wave, and she turned to begin packing her things. The first thing in her hand was her Luison and knife. It was a habit that she had gotten herself into. For most of her life, they had been her good luck charms- but after Bandit, she didn't want anything else to do with them. She opened the drawer to her nightstand and placed them both inside. She stared at her gun and knife, tempted to bring them with her anyway. _Take them..._ She heard from inside her mind. Caveira shook her head slamming the drawer shut. She made her way into her bathroom to splash cold water on her face. She stared at herself in the mirror thinking about her impending journey. She was scared. What if the person she was going to see couldn't help her at all? What would her fate be then?

A sharp pain on her left side caught her attention. She unbuttoned her vest and pulled it open. She gasped as she laid her eyes upon a bite mark on her left rib. The marks were red as they began to fill with blood, and the skin around the bite was red and irritated. Caveira lifted her right hand to gingerly touch around the area. It was very tender, and the heat of her skin was burning hot- the same way her body felt when she had her fevers. She opened the cabinet under her sink to get her bandages, and pulled one of the bigger ones out. When she looked back in the mirror, the bite was gone. Her skin had even went back to its normal color, and when she touched the area the bite had been her skin was average temperature. Caveira shook her head and left her bathroom. She returned to packing her things and getting ready for tomorrow. Her trip to France couldn't come soon enough...

* * *

Caveira walked slowly down the stairs to the first floor. She was on her way out to the car that was escorting her and Lion to London. She wasn't exactly enthused about a three hour car ride, but she guessed it could have been worse somehow. She stared outside at Lion talking with the driving upon reaching the entrance to Hereford. Lion was very animated with his body movements, and the driver looked less than pleased. Caveira smiled to herself. Lion was probably out there telling the driver how to do his job. Or maybe... Maybe he was telling him that she was crazy and to be ready for anything. A sense of panic washed over Caveira. What if he was telling him what she asked him to keep between themselves? _He is..._ She heard that same voice in the back of her mind. Caveira squeezed her eyes shut shaking her head. If that voice was the one confirming her suspicion then it could only be a lie. Caveira opened the door and stepped outside.

"Ahhh, just who I was waiting for!" Lion greeted as he took her things from her to put them away. She gave him a weak smile as she began to get in the car.

"Hey!" a gruff voice called out from somewhere.

Caveira and Lion turned to see Capitao standing just outside the entrance to Hereford. His arms were crossed and he looked less than thrilled to be there, but then again- that was Capitao's signature look. He made his way over, looking between Lion and the car. It was almost as if he were suspicious of something.

"I know you weren't going to leave without saying 'bye' to me," he said turning his gaze on Caveira.

"I didn't want to have to say 'goodbye' to the only other man I hold dear in my life," Caveira said with a weak smile.

Capitao held his scowl for a moment more before giving her a soft smile. "Vou sentir saudades. (I'll miss you)" he said with a soft tone. He caught the subtle glimmer of tears before she threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly, patting her back as she pulled away.

"Eu volto em breve. (I'll be back soon)" she replied before sitting inside the car.

"And _you_ ," Capitao said looking up at Lion. "Take care of my daughter, you hear?"

Lion nodded giving him a small salute before getting in the back seat with Caveira. Capitao gave her a final wave before closing her door and watching them drive off. He stood there watching until the car was out of site. He pulled one of his cigars out of his chet pocket to light it up. He looked upwards towards the sky, letting the smoke expel itself from his lungs.

"Que Deus tenha misericórdia dela ..."

* * *

Olivier and Taina sat in the airport waiting for their flight to be called. Olivier was obviously disgruntled by the way he paced around and stared out the windows.

"What could be taking so long?" he said out loud to no one in particular.

"These things happen sometimes. If only we could have taken one of Six's planes," Taina added in.

Olivier sighed shaking his head, "Even if we took one of Six's planes, we'd have to land in Paris and take a plane from there. Toulouse is so uptight about who travels in their air space." Taina laughed to herself earning a look from Olivier.

"I guess that explains why you're so tightly wound all the time, right?" The fact that Olivier didn't exactly find her statement funny made it even funnier to her.

Olivier shrugged looking back out the windows, "I guess I've got it honest then." The intercom rang out with a short squeal and the announcement that their flight was now boarding was made. Taina and Lion gathered their things and began to make their way to the terminal. It was crowded, and Taina could feel herself beginning to panic. She didn't like people, and there were too many here for her to feel at ease.

Olivier picked up on Taina's anxiety. He reached down and took one of her hands in his.

"What the hell?" Taina snapped as she tried to yank her hand away. Olivier's grip on her hand tightened.

"It's because I can feel your anxiety. Just squeeze me when it's too much for you," he said back to her with a low voice. Taina stared at him with that hard stare she used when interrogating. "Look, I'm only doing this to help you. I'm not trying anything, I swear."

Taina continued to stare at him a few moments more before looking forward. They stepped forward to the gate attendant and presented their boarding passes. The attendant looked at their interlocked hands and smiled, "Getting away from the kids?" she asked.

Olivier gave her a short laugh, "I promised her a getaway. Is it too late to take it back now?" he joked back. Taina gave them both a deep scowl. The attendants smile faded away as she handed them their passes back.

"Enjoy your flight," she said flatly as they proceeded through the hallway to board.

Taina squeezed Olivier's hand as they squeezed themselves through the narrow hallway of the plane.

"Too bad Six didn't put us in first class," Olivier grumbled as he stepped aside for Taina to take her seat. He put their things in the overhead compartment then sat down beside her. "Do you want to sit in the aisle? There's more room here," he offered.

Taina shook her head and turned to look out the window, "I'd rather see where we're going." Olivier stared at her for a moment before shrugging and looking ahead.

"Hi, can I see your boarding passes?" one of the stewardess's asked them as she walked up.

"Ouais, un second," Olivier said reaching inside his hoodie pocket.

"Ooh, I like your accent," the stewardess said in an obviously flirtatious tone.

Olivier chuckled presenting his pass, "I like yours as well." Taina rolled her eyes as she sighed. It was gross that he was flirting with someone as he sat beside her.

"Ma'am, can I see yours?"

Taina looked over at the stewardess and shrugged, "I don't know where I put mine." She begun to look out the window again when the stewardess suggested she should find it. _She needs to leave..._

"I don't know where I put the fucking pass, okay? Would I be here if I wasn't supposed to be?" Taina snapped turning to look back at the stewardess.

"Allez, allez, allez!" Olivier said placing an arm across Taina's chest. He looked back towards the stewardess who looked less than pleased with the way she was just spoken to. "She's under a lot of stress, I apologize. Can we have some time to find her boarding pass?"

The stewardess shook her head, "I don't need it. Enjoy your flight." She spat the last part in Taina's direction before walking away to check on the other passengers. Olivier turned to look at Taina who was preoccupied with the scenery outside the window.

"What was that about?" he asked quietly. Taina didn't say anything, she simply just shrugged.

"Hey, I know that you're going through a lot, but can you just _try_ to keep a level head?"

Taina shook her head rapidly before snapping her attention to Olivier. Her gaze was fierce, and it made the collar of Olivier's hoodie feel tight. "If what was happening to me happened to _you,_ then you'd understand that you should probably fuck off with your advice."

Olivier's jaw tightened as he clenched it. Taina breathed out a heavy sigh before looking back out the window. The intercom came on with a bing, and the flight attendants began to go over the flight's protocol. Oliver watched them uninterested. He couldn't care less right now if the plane exploded before they even made it in the air. The pilot came in after the flight attendants to revamp them on where the flight was going and how long it would take to get there. He thanked everyone for being on the flight, and the plane began to run down the tarmac. The familiar light feeling came over Olivier as the plane rose further into the atmosphere. The sounds of shaking metal and harsh wind filled the cabin as the plane suffered hard turbulence. The pilot came back over the intercom to alert the passengers that it was nothing but high velocity winds and they would be through it soon. Olivier's left hand felt hot very suddenly. He looked down to notice that Taina had taken his hand in hers and was squeezing it. She wasn't doing it for an apology, but the way that she had decided to grab onto him for support made him forgive her for the way she had been earlier. He wanted to say something. To make a little joke and see if she was feeling more at ease. But, deciding that he didn't want to ruin the moment- Olivier rest his head against his seat and fell asleep.

* * *

Taina jerked awake. Her face was still leaning against the window. She didn't mean to fall asleep, but the fact that she was able to close her eyes for longer than ten seconds without hearing it speak to her was sort of a blessing. She looked outside. It was pitch black. She wasn't exactly sure about European geography, but she figured that they were somewhere over that small gap of sea that separated the United Kingdom from the rest of Europe. The faint strumming of a guitar accompanied by soft vocals caught her attention. There was no one else in the cabin with her. Did Olivier pull one over on her, and not wake her before the plane left back to the U.K.? No, the flight attendants would have done that. Even then, a flight just didn't take off to another place after everyone got off, right? Nevertheless, Taina rose from her seat and stepped out into the aisle. She stumbled as she suddenly became disoriented. To the best of her ability, she began to walk towards the attendant's station. The music remained clear, echoing through her mind as it grew louder the longer she walked. She knew the melody well. It was one of Dominic's favorite songs.

Taina pulled back the curtain that led to first class. She blinked her eyes continuously as she tried to focus her blurry vision towards the back of someone's head in the very middle of the first row of seats. She started forward once again on weak legs.

 _You say- that there's noises in your head..._

Taina leaned against one of the seats in the aisle as a sharp pain shot through her skull. She fought her way through the migraine and her dizziness to continue towards the other person.

 _You say- that there's voices in your head..._

Another sharp pain hit through Taina's chest. She coughed, panting to catch her breath. She focused back on the other person. They were wearing headgear that she would recognize anywhere. Taina stepped into the row of seats just behind him. She slowly placed her hands on the sides of his helmet, and began to lift it off. _"Dominic,"_ she said in that low sultry voice he liked. She dropped his helmet after pulling it off, frozen in her place. Instead of seeing auburn hair, she was met with a mass of bloody, gnarly, and jagged tissue surrounding a hole in the back of his head. She inhaled deeply, and screamed with everything she had in her.

* * *

"TAINA! TAINA, PLEASE!" Olivier shouted as he shook her by her shoulders.

She was asleep, and screaming at the top of her lungs. Olivier placed a hand over her mouth fighting to subdue her flailing arms. Her eyes snapped open, but she continued to breathe rapidly. She frantically began to look around at her surroundings. There were a bunch of people she didn't know standing and looking at her, and then immediately to her right was Lion. _You're on a plane.._ she remembered, and took a deep breath to calm down. Although she was still and breathing normally, her heart continued it's panicked beating.

"Is everything alright? Are we going to have a hard time with her?" a man asked coming over to them.

"No, she's fine," Olivier said letting go of Taina. "Who are you anyways?" he snapped turning his focus on the man asking them questions.

"I'm the air marshal. Why? Are you looking to have a problem, man?"

Olivier shrugged, "Not generally, but if you continue to bother her seeing that she's distressed I just might. Air marshals keep people safe, right?" The air marshal stood silent, his focus never turning off Taina. "You see she's fine now, so please, let us enjoy the rest of our flight."

The air marshal continued to stare at Taina for a few more moments before looking at Olivier to give him a nod. He walked away, and Olivier slouched back in his seat. Taina wiped the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes. She leaned over and tapped Olivier's arm. He opened one eye to look at her.

"Thank you," she whispered, and turned to look out the window once again.

* * *

 **Just a note- the song lyrics are from a movie called "Heartthrob" on Netflix. You won't be able to find the song itself online since the movie didn't come with an official soundtrack. The reprise of the song does play at the end of the movie though (I'll be using the reprise later in the story), so if you want to hear it and you have a subscription to Netflix, I highly suggest it.**


	7. In the Name of the Father

Taina and Olivier walked through the long curving hallway that led off the plane. They had landed in Toulouse twenty minutes ago, but due to first class taking their sweet time departing they had to wait to wait longer than expected.

"We have a driver here that will take us where we need to go. Just look for- oh, never mind." A man wearing a black uniform and driver's cap held a sign that read 'Flament'. "Bonsoir," Olivier said as they headed towards him.

"Monsieur Flament, et Mademoiselle Pereira?" the man asked extending a hand.

"Oui," Olivier responded shaking his head.

"Par ici," the man said motioning for them to follow. He led them to a blacked out car just outside the entrance to the airport and held the back door open for them. "Je vais prendre ceux," their escort said holding out a hand. Olivier handed the man his luggage and motioned with his head for Taina to do the same. Olivier stepped to the side for Taina to step inside the car, and he took his place beside her. The driver closed the door and made his way to the trunk to put everything away. The slam of the trunk caused Taina to flinch as she looked around.

"Relax, everything will be fine," Olivier assured her as the driver started the car. They began to slowly roll out of the parking lot, then onto the highway. Taina watched the buildings passing by as they rode along. Once she decided she was bored of what seemed like repetitive scenery, she turned to talk with Olivier.

"Where are we going?" she asked looking in the rear view mirror at the very top of the driver's hat.

"We're going to see a good friend of mine. His name is Father Durand, and he's one of the highest priests in Toulouse. I had considered studying theology under him after I left the service, so he's very dependable in matters such as yours." Taina snickered shaking her head and turning back towards the window. The basic aspect of religion sounded silly, but all the fancy talk of high priests and "God's right hand man" sounded flat out redundant. "I'm serious, Taina. If I didn't think this would work and that you'd just laugh it off without taking it seriously- I never would have offered."

That made her feel bad. He really was being genuine so far. The fact that he still chose to make this trip with her, despite not knowing when the next time she could go in a trance and hurt someone, was very telling of his character.

"I'm sorry. I'm new to this again, so please just... I just hope you can understand where I'm coming from," she responded with a quivering voice. She hadn't expected any acknowledgment from Olivier. If it were her, she would have said 'to hell with it' for the rest of the trip.

"I do understand. In fact, I've been there myself. I just expected you to be open to it already since you agreed to come. Just try to keep the tell-tale signs of being a skeptic down when you meet with Father Durand, agreed?" Taina turned to look at him. She gave him a wide and promising smile.

"Agreed."

Olivier returned the smile before turning his attention to the driver. They talked amongst themselves for a short while before Olivier looked at his watch. "Damn," he whispered pulling his hoodie sleeve back down.

"What's the matter?" Taina asked.

"We wasted too much time waiting on first class. We're going to have to go to his house instead of the church, I hope that's alright with you?"

Taina shrugged, "It doesn't make a difference to me. Whether I'm in the house of God or the house of a priest, I won't feel welcome either way."

It was Olivier's turn to snicker and shake his head, "Taina, everyone is always welcome as long as their heart is open. But enough of that from me, I'd rather you hear it from an expert."

Taina gave him a short laugh as she turned to look back outside of the window. The driver had brung them through a small area full of old shops and outdoor cafes.

"We're getting close. After we make our way through Petit Marsailles, we'll be there." Taina watched as the scenery changed to a more rugged, albeit run down part of Toulouse.

"It looks sketchy here," she noted out loud.

"Toulouse does have its bad areas, but this isn't one of them. It's just an older part of the city. Here," Oliver said pointing towards the front of the car. "This is his house."

The driver pulled into a stone driveway of an old, two story, gray brick house. The windows were exceptionally dark for it to be nearly 3:30 in the afternoon. The driver parked the car, and moved to open the back door on the driver's side.

Taina stepped out followed by Olivier. The driver retrieved their things and promptly handed them back to their owners.

"Bon séjour!" the driver said as he sat back in the car to leave.

Olivier gave him a single wave calling out a thanks before walking up to the door of the house. He knocked on the door and stepped back beside Taina. It seemed like an eternity as they waited for the door to open. An old man around his early sixties opened the door to greet them.

"Ah, Olivier! Comment avez-vous été!?" Father Durand greeted as he opened his arms out for a hug.

"Je vais bien, et toi?" Olivier said stepping forward to hug him.

"Tout va bien, tout va bien," Father Durand responded patting Olivier on his shoulders. He looked over at Taina and gave her a warm smile. "Qui est cette beauté? Votre femme?" Father Durand asked holding his hand out to her.

Olivier gave him a short laugh shaking his head, "Juste un collègue. Elle s'appelle Taina," he said as Taina placed her hand in Father Durand's.

"Taina. Bienvenue chez moi," Father Durand said placing his other hand on top of hers.

"What did he say?" Taina asked looking at Olivier.

"Oh, he just asked who you were and he says welcome. Now you say, 'merci beaucoup, père Durand' in return." Taina nodded and looked back at Father Durand. She repeated the phrase and gave him a warm smile of her own.

"Elle ne parle pas français?" Father Durand said letting go of Taina's hand and looking at Olivier.

"Non, mais je peux traduire," Olivier replied.

"That won't be necessary. With how many times I've been asked to bless the tourists I decided to learn English. Come in, come in," Father Durand said walking back inside. Taina and Olivier exchanged a look of surprise before stepping inside behind Father Durand. Taina looked around at all the antique furniture that looked like it hadn't been upgraded since the French Revolution. "Olivier, I haven't seen you since you were a little boy. How long has it been?" Father Durand asked from another room.

"Actually, you blessed me right before I joined the service after I turned 18. It's only been 13 years." Father Durand let out a hearty laugh. "Like I said, you were a little boy."

Taina followed Olivier into the kitchen where Father Durand had begun to make tea. "Would either of you like some tea?"

Olivier nodded his head, "Ouais, I'm parched. Taina?"

She shook her head as she continued to look over the inside of Father Durand's house. She sat down at the table beside Olivier, and cried out when something ran out from under her feet.

"What was that!?" she asked lifting her feet into the chair.

Father Durand gave her a short laugh, "Just a cat. I have three of them. They like to lurk in the darker parts of my house. It's the predator in them! Keep your guard up lest they hunt you as well."

Taina slowly put her feet back on the floor. She looked around for anymore animals she should know about before looking up to join in the conversation.

"So Olivier, you said on the phone that there was a spiritual emergency?" Olivier nodded as the kettle on the stove began to whistle.

"Ouais, the signs are all there. I don't suspect the chaplin at Hereford to be genuine enough, so I called you."

Father Durand nodded as he brung the kettle over to fill a teacup he had placed in front of Olivier. "List for me the specific events, would you?" Father Durand asked sitting down at the table. Olivier took a sip of tea before motioning towards Taina.

"She's the affected. I think she should tell you."

Father Durand motioned with a hand for Taina to speak. She swallowed hard before starting.

"I've been seeing and hearing things- inside of my mind, I guess. I blamed it on how often I got sick. I would have fevers a lot, and I would wake up sweating throughout the night. I thought that maybe since I couldn't sleep well I was hallucinating."

Father Durand nodded slowly taking a sip of tea, "What else?"

Taina clasped her hands together on top of the table. She looked down before continuing, "I would be awake, but everything would be dark. Pitch black. But then it was like I would wake up again able to see. There's also this- this _thing_ that's been watching me."

Father Durand had begun to take a sip of tea, but instead placed his cup firmly on the table, "Describe it."

Taina took a deep breath and thought about the way it looked before putting it to a description.

"Long sharp fingers and an all black body, huh? Does it look like it wears a hood on its head?" Father Durand asked pouring himself another cup. Taina nodded fervently. "You've got a demon attached to you- it's obvious by the description and the hallucinations. Those weren't caused by any fever my dear girl, it's been using your mind to torment you by-"

Father Durand's words seemed to fade out into a whispering echo. Taina strained her hearing as hard as she could, but his words were too quiet to pick up. _He's lying..._ She heard from the back of her mind. Taina shook her head trying hard once again to focus on Father Durand's words. _He's a fraud... He'll hurt you..._

"Taina, are you with me?" That was loud and clear.

"I'm sorry, I- I couldn't hear you."

Father Durand stared at her for a moment before smiling. "It was talking to you, wasn't it?" Taina frowned as she attempted to keep her emotions at bay. The tears growing heavy in the corners of her eyes betraying her.

"Yes, it was talking to me."

Father Durand nodded his head slowly as he serviced Olivier's cup. "I'm going to need you to tell me everything that happened immediately before everything began to happen. It's important that you tell me everything that happened. I'm not here to judge you, but the situation that has summoned this thing to you. Do you understand?"

Taina swallowed hard nodding her head. She glanced over at Olivier who motioned for her to begin speaking. "Well, it started when I was fifteen..."


	8. Opening the Door

**WARNING: This chapter contains the merciless killing of an animal. If you are sensitive to such things, I recommend you either proceed with caution or skip the chapter completely. If you choose to read the chapter in its entirety and the scene mentioned disturbs you in the slightest, don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Sao Paulo, Brasil**

 **June 15th, 2004**

 **9:40 a.m.**

Taina Pereira crept down the creaky stairs into her friend Maria's cellar. She had called Taina along with their two other friends Gabriela and Vitoria to see something she had "borrowed" from her aunt.

"Maria?" Taina called out stepping down onto the cold cement floor. "Maria!?" she called again stepping towards the center of the room.

She heard the storm doors creaking open followed by footsteps. There were rushed voices speaking amongst one another in hushed tones. One-by-one- Maria, Vitoria, and Gabriela came into view.

"Where were you guys? I've been down here forever," Taina said placing her hands on her hips.

"We had to get some things," Gabriela chirped as she lifted a small basket above her head.

"Things? What do we need _things_ for?" Taina asked now crossing her arms.

"You'll see," Maria said taking the basket from Gabriela. "You know how I called you all to see something I stole from my aunt?"

Taina shook her head, "You said you _borrowed_ it on the phone."

Maria stared at Taina for a few moments before shrugging, "You know what I meant. Anyway, look at this," she said opening the basket.

She pulled out at least 10 candles before revealing a sleek wooden board and wooden piece shaped as a teardrop.

"Oh my God, _really?_ " Vitoria said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah. My aunt is a witch- she talks to the dead and talks up spirits all the time. I've seen her do it," Maria said with stars in her eyes. She placed it gingerly on the cellar floor running one of her hands over it.

"So what, are we going to 'talk to the dead'?" Taina said sarcastically.

Gabriela nodded her head as she moved to stand beside Maria, "We're gonna do it this weekend. We just have to get everything ready."

Taina and Vitoria both just shook their head. "Wouldn't your aunt notice that it's gone?" Vitoria asked looking towards Maria.

Maria rolled her eyes, "I'm going to put it back before then, stupid. I just wanted you to see it."

Taina and Vitoria looked between themselves as Gabriela and Maria set up the candles.

"Well," Vitoria said as she looked back at the other two, "I'm going to school. Taina, you coming?" Taina gave her a short shrug before nodding. "Alright, later lames," Vitoria said turning to leave.

Taina gave Maria and Gabriela a goodbye before following suit. "Do you believe in any of that?" Taina asked looking over at Vitoria.

She shook her head rolling her eyes, "Maria's just looking for attention again. I'll still go on Saturday, just because I want to see how disappointed she'll be when she finds out it's not real."

Taina didn't say anything. She didn't believe in talking to the dead, but she didn't want to try it out either. What if, by some ridiculous chance, this stuff was real? What if they brought a spirit back from its resting place and it couldn't return? Taina shook her head at the silly thoughts than ran through her mind. Gabriela was already the naive one of their group, and they all saw how Maria took advantage of her. It'd be a cold day in hell before she'd let Maria push and pull her around.

"Something wrong? I've never heard you this quiet before," Vitoria said looking over her shoulder at Taina.

Taina had been so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice she had slowed down. "Oh, I'm just thinking," she said with a nervous laugh. She sped up her pace to stride alongside Vitoria again.

"About what? Don't tell me you're starting to fall for her shit." Taina gave her a small smile accompanied by a slight shrug. Vitoria scoffed shaking her head. "Look, when we go back over on Saturday, I'll show you it's not real. I'm going to move the planchette around myself. Maria and Gabriela are going to freak out. It's gonna be great," Vitoria said as a deviant smile spread across her face. The two laughed between themselves as they joked about scaring Maria and Gabriela. The superstitious thoughts Taina had begun to think on melted away. Vitoria was right. There was nothing to worry about. The truth would come out soon. All she had to do was wait until Saturday.

* * *

 **Saturday**

 **June 19th, 2004**

 **6:15 p.m.**

Taina, Vitoria, and Gabriela all sat in Maria's cellar listening to music and chattering as they waited for Maria. She had stepped away for their "final ingredient" after bringing down her aunt's Ouija board.

"What is taking her so long?" Vitoria asked crossing her arms.

"Maybe a spirit caught her after she stepped outside," Taina said wiggling her fingers at Vitoria.

She reached over to tickle her friend just as the cellar door creaked open.

"Maria!?" Gabriela called out over Vitoria's exaggerated giggling.

"Come help me!" Maria called back.

Gabriela pranced her way over to the stairs to help Maria. She gasped, stopping at the bottom of the stairs as she looked up towards the doors.

"Don't just stand there, _help me!_ " Maria shouted.

Gabriela started up the steps with urgency. Vitoria looked at Taina with a certain look.

 _"I know,"_ Taina whispered turning to look back at the stairs. Whatever Maria needed help with caused quite a ruckus as she and Gabriela made their way down into the cellar. Taina's mouth fell open in slight shock as what they were bringing down finally came into view.

"What the actual fuck?" Vitoria asked with her voice full of surprise.

Gabriela and Maria walked over followed by one of Maria's uncle's goats.

"Why did you bring a goat down here? Maria, are you high?" Taina asked as she and Vitoria burst into laughter.

Maria rolled her eyes as Gabriela proceeded to tie the animal to the hook on the farthest wall. "We need him to summon the spirits, dumbass."

Vitoria wiped imaginary tears from her eyes as she began to settle down, "Oh, so the spirits can speak through it?"

Maria placed her hands on her hips scowling at Vitoria. " _No_ , it's so we can offer him to the spirits so they'll come to us."

Taina and Vitoria looked between one another. _Offer him?_

"What do you mean we need to 'offer him'?" Vitoria asked as she crossed her arms.

"What do you think? We need to sacrifice him. The spirits won't come unless we come bearing a gift- my aunt does this all the time before she talks to the spirits." Vitoria shook her head in disbelief. This was just starting to sound a little too crazy, but she gave in anyway.

"Okay, so how are we supposed to kill him then? Are we gonna hit it over the head with a bat or something?"

Maria reached behind her to lift up her shirt. She raised her arm up before pulling it around to show the girls a 10-inch butcher's knife.

"You can't be serious," Vitoria scoffed taking a step back.

"I am. We need to do this."

Vitoria looked over at the goat who seemed to be enjoying the pets that Gabriela was giving him. Although Vitoria had an 'I don't care' attitude, she just couldn't see herself, or even watching someone else, kill an innocent animal.

"Whose going to do it?" Maria asked.

Vitoria and Taina both snapped their attention to her. "Why don't _you_ kill it? You were the one who wanted to _conjure the spirits,_ " Vitoria said sarcastically.

"No, I'm going to be the medium tonight- one of you has to do it."

Taina watched as the girls all argued with each other. Gabriela was just as against the killing as Vitoria, and Maria felt that their reluctance to do it would help the spirits come sooner due to their innocent hearts.

"I'll do it," Taina said after she felt fed up with their constant bickering.

"Why didn't you say something earlier? We're losing time," Maria spat as she handed the knife over to Taina.

Taina gripped the handle of the knife tightly. She hesitated to walk across the room to where Gabriela sat scratching the goat under his chin. Her eyes were glistening with tears as the thought of the precious animal she stroked would be dead within minutes.

"Well? _Do it!_ " Maria commanded.

Taina glanced at her with a displeased look before walking across the room to where Gabriella sat. "Gabi," Taina said grabbing her hand as she reached up to pet it again.

Gabriela sniffled as she stood to join Vitoria and Maria. Taina's hand shook as she tried to prepare herself for what she was about to do. She turned to look back at the girls hoping that Maria would change her mind. She didn't. Taina turned back around to look at the unsuspecting animal before her. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, then pulled her arm behind her. She brung her arm forward hitting the goat in his side just beneath its ribs. The goat jumped forward bleating in pain. The girls screamed as the rope around it's neck pulled it back causing its body to land with a hard and loud thud. Taina's grip on the handle combined with the way she jumped backwards caused the goat even more pain as it's internal flesh was tore through again. It thrashed about on the floor, bleating loudly and scattering its blood.

"What the hell!? You were supposed to kill it, not torture it!" Maria shouted as she watched the goat writhing in pain.

Taina could feel her heartbeat in her throat. Everything seemed like it was going wrong. She turned the knife around in her hands and lifted it above her head. She brung it down into the goat's throat, hoping that this would be the stab to end it. When she pulled the knife from it's throat- the bleating didn't stop. It was distorted from the blood that began to fill its airway, choking it to death.

"Here, use this to catch the blood," Maria said walking over to hand Taina a clay bowl.

"How?" Taina asked dropping the knife to take the bowl in her hands.

"Just put it near it's throat! And for God's sake would you stop crying!?" she screamed turning to face a hysteric Gabriela.

Taina knelt down to place the bowl near the goat's throat. The irony smell of the blood paired with the typical animal smell of its fur caused her gag. The last breath the goat took caused a pocket of air to slip under the blood and surface in a bubble. The burst splattered blood all over Taina's arms, and even her face. Taina cringed away.

It was one thing to kill a goat. It was another for her to gather its blood. But being splashed with goat blood was a totally different story.

"Here's your blood, I'm not doing this," Taina said passing the bowl to Maria.

"You've already killed it. You might as well stay. Here," Maria said handing Taina an old towel.

"Are you kidding me? This is grosser than the blood."

Maria threw her hands up in frustration, "It's all I have down here. Either use it or don't."

Taina scowled at Maria before wiping her face.

"Alright, when I light the candles, we all sit down and touch the pointer thing," Maria said pulling a lighter from her jeans pocket.

"It's called a _planchette_ ," Vitoria corrected.

Maria rolled her eyes, "Shut up. You know what I mean." She knelt down to light all the candles, and placed them in a circle big enough for them to sit inside of. "Okay, everyone sit down."

Taina, Vitoria, and Gabrielle sat on each end of the board. Maria placed the planchette down in the middle and took her spot on the last side.

"Now you guys put a finger on it," Maria directed. Everyone took their right index finger and placed it on top of the planchette.

"Now what?" Gabriela asked looking at Maria.

"We need a spirit to summon. Does anybody have someone in mind?" The girls all looked around each other with the same curiosity. "No one has anything?" Maria asked heavily annoyed.

"How about my dad?" Taina offered.

" _Finally_. Okay," Maria said pushing the planchette around in small circles. "I ask the spirits to bring forth Taina's father. I ask the spirits to bring forth Taina's father. Mr. Pereira, are you here?" Maria stopped moving the planchette, and they all sat still. The silence ate away at their nerves as they waited. "Mr. Pereira, _are you here!?_ " Maria called out. The air in the cellar was still as they got no response. Vitoria and Taina looked at each other from the corners of their eyes. The planchette twitched beneath their fingers, earning a gasp from the girls. "Is this Mr. Pereira?" Maria asked again. The planchette twitched again before sliding upwards to the corner that read 'yes'. Maria and Gabriela gasped again as they looked first between each other, then to Taina and Vitoria.

"It's your dad!" Maria cheered. "Quick, ask him a question!"

Taina sat in thought for a moment before speaking up, "Daddy? What's one thing you wish you could have gotten before you died?"

The planchette sat still before it started to move around the board. The point of the planchette spelling out: b-i-c-h-a-n-o (pussy). Maria scoffed looking up at Vitoria who made no effort of hiding her smile.

"Vitoria, this is serious! Why do you have to be such a bitch!?" Maria shouted.

"Because it's not real! You had Taina kill a goat for no reason!"

Just then, the planchette flew past Maria towards the wall where the goat remained tied. It hit the wall with a clink before falling on top of the goat's body. The girls all stared between the wall and the body of the goat unsure of what just happened.

"Vitoria," Maria began still looking towards the far wall. "If you did that, you're not funny." The bowl of blood that Maria had sat down beside the board flipped up into the air sending its contents about. They all screamed as the feel of boiling blood burned their skin.

"I'm not doing this!" Vitoria screamed as she stood up. "Fuck this, I'm leaving. Taina, let's go!"

"You can't leave, we're not done!" Maria protested.

"No, fuck you and that stupid board. I'll see you at school," Vitoria said as she and Taina began towards the stairs. They started up the stairs towards the cellar doors with Vitoria cursing Maria the whole way.

"She's fucking _sick_ ," Vitoria said reaching towards the cellar doors. She pushed them open and stepped outside. She gasped as she caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure standing to her right. It was just Maria's aunt. "Mrs. Araújo, you scared me," Vitoria said placing a hand over her heart.

Maria's aunt took a long drag off her cigarette, blowing the smoke towards Vitoria and Taina. "Did you say 'goodbye'?"

Vitoria glanced at Taina before nodding her head, "I told Maria I would see her at school."

Maria's aunt scowled at Vitoria. She took another long drag of her cigarette, "But did you say _'goodbye'_?"

Vitoria and Taina swore they saw her chest rise as she inhaled, but when she spoke no smoke escaped from her mouth.

"I- I don't know what you mean. I'm sorry, but it's getting late and we should go home. Goodnight, Mrs. Araújo."

Maria's aunt watched as Taina and Vitoria walked away. She took another long drag on her cigarette before flicking it away. She knew exactly what they were doing down there. She also knew that they _didn't_ know what they were doing. She shook her head feeling sorry for their ignorance. They had just invited someone in, and without saying a proper 'goodbye'- they would never leave. But that was a lesson that they would have to learn on their own.


	9. Reaping What You Sew

**I know... I'm so sorry it took so long... I'm struggling again and I don't know when I'll start feeling back up to writing. I'm going to try and crank the rest of this story within the next few days so I can post it up either all together or in sequence like when I started. I'm sorry I kept you waiting, but I thank you for your patience..**

* * *

 **Associação Escola Graduada de São Paulo (Sao Paulo Grade School)**

 **Sao Paulo, Brasil**

 **June 21st, 2004**

 **8:40 a.m.**

Taina and Vitoria walked together through the yard of their school waiting for Maria and Gabriela.

"Where the hell are they? We only have twenty more minutes," Vitoria groaned as she checked her phone's clock.

Leave it up to Princess Maria to be "fashionably late".

"Hey, you!" they heard called from behind them. They turned to see who called them. It was Maria, and by the look on her face she was heavily pissed.

"Hey Mari," Taina chirped as Maria marched straight up to her.

"You psycho!" Maria screamed as she pushed Taina.

"What the fuck, Maria?" Taina said pushing her back.

"Hey! Chill out," Vitoria shouted coming in between them.

"Maria, what's your problem?" Vitoria said shooting her a look.

"You think you're funny, huh?" Maria screamed keeping her focus on Taina.

"What are you talking about?" Taina shouted back.

"You snuck back in my house last night and started choking me! What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Vitoria and Taina both looked at Maria like she was yelling at them in another language.

" _I_ couldn't have choked you because _I_ was at home at night!"

"I know what I saw. Just stay the fuck away from me- you spooky bitch!" Maria spat as she stepped around them to go inside. The schoolyard had become eerily quiet as the children in the lower classes had stopped to watch what was going on.

"She must be crazier than you are," Vitoria said with a scoff as she and Taina watched Maria stomp away.

"Right," Taina said turning back to look at Vitoria. "Hey, where's Gabi? She's always with Maria, but she's not here."

Vitoria shrugged as she pulled her phone from her bag, "I'll call and see." Taina stood by as she waited for the call to commence. "Oh, hi Mrs. Aguilar, is Gabi around? ...Oh, she's not? ...I'm sorry to hear that. Tell her Viti and Taina hopes she gets better. Okay, bye bye." Vitoria looked over at Taina after she put her phone away.

"What's wrong with her?" Taina asked.

"Her mom says she's sick, but I could hear her crying in the background. I guess you really did a number on her mind when you slaughtered that goat."

Taina placed a finger to Vitoria's lips. "Shhh, I don't want anyone to hear you!"

Vitoria rolled her eyes with a smile, "Come on, Taina- nobody at this school is _that_ invested in you," she said as she started to walk up the pathway to the school's doors.

"Still, it'd be best if we all kept quiet. You never know what could happen..."

* * *

 **History Class**

 **3:00 p.m.**

Taina yawned as she leaned forward to rest her hand on her hand. She hated the parts of class that considered of listening to the teacher talk and talk on for the students to take notes. She picked up her pencil to draw small hearts, skulls, and x's in the side margins of her paper. A bad habit that got her in detention more than once. The teacher's voice had become just an annoying buzz at the back of Taina's head as she began to tune her out. She was almost completely zoned out when she heard, _Taina..._ She paused mid-stroke to look up and around her. Everyone seemed to be focused on the teacher instead of her. Taina looked back down at her paper continuing her drawing. She was beginning to tune the teacher out again when once more, _Taina..._ Her pencil clacked softly on her desk as she placed it down to turn around.

"Stop bothering me," she huffed at the boy who sat behind her.

"What?" he asked dumbfounded.

"Leave me alone," Taina growled before turning back around in her seat. Chills ran up and down her spine as her eyes veered out the window to her left. She could swear she saw someone dressed in all black staring at her from the yard. She couldn't see their face because their hood was up, but they were disturbingly tall and freakishly skinny. The bell ringing caused her to flinch. She looked upwards to the clock that read 3:30 p.m. Time to go home. Taina looked back out the window as the chills grew stronger. She could feel the tiny bumps making their way down her arms as she looked upon the normal scenery of the yard with no one in sight.

Taina gathered her things from her desk and stepped out into the hall. She came upon Vitoria who stood idle at her locker.

"Hey, you!" Vitoria said flashing Taina a peace sign.

"Hey," Taina replied hugging her things tightly to her.

Vitoria's smile began to slowly fade, "What's the matter? You're so pale."

Taina shook her head, "It's nothing, just my mind playing tricks on me."

Vitoria laughed as she and Taina began down the hall together, "Don't tell me your going crazy like Maria. I don't think I'd be able to handle two of you."

Taina giggled shaking her head again, "Nah, just letting some things get to-..." Her words trailed off as she looked ahead to the back of what looked like the same thing she saw earlier. All black, very tall, and skeletal in frame.

"Just letting things do what? Taina? Helloooo?" Vitoria called.

Taina couldn't hear her. She couldn't take her focus off of whatever it was walking amongst the other students in front of them. Taina's whole body felt cold and heavy when she noticed it stop walking. She tried to stop. To turn around and run the other way as fast as possible, but her body wouldn't cooperate. The cold feeling in her body began to burn as if ice had formed in her veins as it began to turn around.

"Taina!?" Vitoria had practically shouted her name. Taina's attention snapped back to Vitoria as the yelling of her name brought her back. They were outside now staring at the school.

"Finally! Look!" Vitoria shouted as she pointed towards the top of the building. There was someone standing on the tower that stood above the entrance to the school. Taina had to squint to make out who it was. It was Maria. "What the fuck is she doing!?" Vitoria shouted over the panicking voices of the others around them.

"I don't know..." Taina said as she looked on.

Vitoria cupped her hands around her mouth, "Maria!" No response. "Maria!" she shouted again even louder.

"She's not going to jump is she?" Taina asked with a quivering voice. No sooner than she asked, the screams of the students around them pierced the air. It was as if the moment happened in slow motion, but lasted no longer than two seconds. Maria had gone from the top of the building to lying directly in front of the doorway. The last sound they heard before she landed being a grisly thud.

"Oh, my God..." Vitoria whispered as she hugged two hysterical children to her. Taina's eyes slowly crept up the face of the building to the tower Maria once stood. There was the thing that she had seen in the yard and the hallway.

"She was pushed..." she said aloud to no one. She felt the familiar cold run through her body as her vision became blurred and black. _I'll come back for you..._ She could feel the rough surface of concrete hit the back of her head for a fraction of a second before slipping into nothing.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Taina clasped her hands together as Olivier and Father Durand looked between each other.

"What happened to the others?" Father Durand asked turning back to Taina.

"Gabi never came back to school and Vitoria moved away shortly after the incident." Father Durand nodded his head slowly.

"Well, the good thing is it hasn't caused you to harm yourself or others. We can take care of that with a pray-"

"Actually," Taina interjected, "it has." Father Durand stared hard at Taina waiting for her to continue. "I... I was awaken one night to it calling me. I picked up my gun and followed the voice. It commanded me to turn around to see it. It was coming towards me and it was reaching out, so I fired at it. What else could I have done?" Taina's voice wavered as her throat became tense with emotion. She swallowed hard and continued on, "But ever since, I've been getting flashbacks. I didn't shoot _it._ I shot my teammate. I can see him begging for his life at the end of my gun. I can see it going off as I put bullets in his body. I can see his soul leave his body as I- as I..." Taina held her face in her hands as she screamed through her heavy sobs. Recalling the event was so much harder to do when she said it out loud. "I didn't mean to kill him. I swear that's not how it happened," she said as she put her hands down to look at Father Durand.

"I know. You didn't kill him, the entity attached to you did. I'm so sorry, my dear girl," Father Durand said reaching across to take one of Taina's hands in his. Olivier tensed expecting Taina to react violently as people were one of the top things she hated, but to see her trembling fingers wrap around Father Durand's put him at ease. "We're going to need more than a prayer. This is going to be a battle of mind, soul, and faith. Olivier," Father Durand said turning to face him.

"Oui, Pere Durand?"

"Are you feeling confident enough in your faith to help me help her?" Olivier nodded confidently.

"Good, good. My dear, will you be willing to fight against it with everything in your body and mind?" Taina nodded wiping the tears from her eyes giving him a weak but reassuring nod.

"Good. I'll need both of you to come back tomorrow- I have to make preparations. For now, I can give you this," Father Durand said standing up. He made his way over to a shelf on the far wall to retrieve a small golden box. He returned to his seat at the kitchen table and opened the box to gingerly remove its contents. He pulled out a rosary and a small vile of clear liquid. "The rosary and anointing will protect you while you're alone," Father Durand said popping the cork on the vile. He waved Taina closer and slipped the rosary over her neck.

"Are you sure this will work?" she asked.

Father Durand nodded as he dripped what looked like oil from the vile on the tip of his finger. He made the sign of the cross on Taina's forehead as he blessed her, "In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit..."


	10. The Son

Caveira sat in Father Durand's living room waiting for him to call her up. She had been passing the time by having small staring contests with one of his cats that claimed the coffee table as theirs.

"Alright, we're ready up there," Father Durand said as he came down the stairs. He noticed Taina squinting down at his cat who lazily looked back up at her.

"Grrrr," she growled as she blunk rapidly.

"Having a little sport with Michele are you?" Father Durand asked with a short laugh.

"I don't understand, it's like he never blinks when you make eye contact," she said staring back into the cat's shimmery hazel eyes. He seemed to taunt her with the way he swished his glossy black tail and his natural frown. As if he were trying to tell her she was no match for him; and honestly, she wasn't with what she was going through. "You said you're ready?" Taina asked losing to Michele again. Father Durand nodded stepping aside and swaying his arms towards the stairs. Michele gave her a small mew as she stood to leave. "Yeah, you too," she said to him as she began on her way to the stairs.

"I'll be up stairs in a minute, I have to talk with Olivier when he gets here. Hermione will keep you company," Father Durand said as she made her way up. The small hallway was nearly pitch black aside from the small sliver of light peeking through the door to the aforementioned room. The door opened wider followed by a small mew. An all white cat just barely bigger than a kitten leaned against the door looking up at her with big, curious eyes.

"You must be Hermione," Taina said smiling down at her pushing the door open.

The room looked like an every day study aside from the single chair that sat in the middle of the room. Taina took it upon herself to sit and wait on account of the wait for Olivier. Hermione coyly made her way over, sniffing over Taina's legs before rubbing herself between them. Taina smiled to herself as she watched, and was even taken by surprise when Hermione decided to hop up into her lap.

"You're a sweet thing, aren't you?" Taina asked her as she scratched under her chin. The happy way she closed her eyes and purred touched Taina in a way that lifted her spirits. She didn't expect that she would ever have another moment like this after Bandit's death, dare she say that this little white kitten gave her hope.

"Oh, she likes you. Hermione is typically afraid of newcomers," Father Durand said with a big smile as he entered the room with Olivier towering behind him.

"If only she knew how dangerous I am..." Taina said losing her smile. Father Durand looked up at her as he draped his stole over his shoulders, recognizing the distant look of disdain.

"Even so, I'm sure she would see straight through to who you really are. Don't worry my dear, you'll be yourself once again after today." Taina smiled nodding her head slowly. She really, really hoped so... "Did this help you last night?" Father Durand asked taking the rosary around her neck in his hands.

"It did a bit. I still saw it, but it kept its distance. It still talked to me, but not as much as usual."

Father Durand nodded his head giving her a smile, "Good, good. I'm going to take it back, just for a moment. Is that alright with you?" Taina nodded leaning forward for him to take it from her neck. As soon as the rosary lifted above her head the air fell heavily on her shoulders. The skin on her arms pricking up as the familiar chills ran through her body. "It's here now, isn't it?" Father Durand asked her as he put the rosary back in its box. Taina gave him a single nod. The fear in her body glossing over her eyes.

Father Durand turned to Olivier holding out one of his hands. Olivier passed a rumpled and folded paper bag to him.

"La connaissance de l'inconnu est un signe certain de possession. Si mes soupçons sont corrects, elle le sera aussi." Father Durand said to him before looking back at Taina.

"My dear. Olivier placed something in here before we made our way up the stairs. Would you have any idea what's in here?"

Taina stared long and hard at the wall directly behind Father Durand. Hermione had begun to stare in the same spot as well, and was growling as hard as she could. "Taina?" Father Durand asked again.

Her eyes began to slowly slide right looking higher up the further they went. Hermione hissed in between growls as she followed the same exact path. Her fur stood high on end, and her claws had detracted as she tried her best to hide herself under Taina's left arm. "Taina!?" Father Durand called again. Hermione leapt out of her arms as soon as she looked forward. The scratching of her tiny claws on the wooden door filled the room as she hysterically mewed, begging to be let out.

Olivier cracked the door open and Hermione slipped out in a small white blur.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were speaking to me," Taina said.

Father Durand gave her an understanding nod, "I asked you if you knew what Olivier put inside this bag." Taina stared at it for a moment before shaking her head 'no'. Father Durand smiled to himself, "Come now, just take a little guess."

Taina stared at the bag again before looking Father Durand back in his eyes, "a necklace."

"Are you sure?" Father Durand asked. Taina gave him a single nod in return. He began to open the bag and pulled out a necklace. He turned to smile at Olivier who looked very shocked to see she guessed correctly. "How did you guess right on the first try?" he asked turning to look back at Taina.

She swallowed hard before replying, "It told me." Father Durand nodded giving the necklace back to Olivier. He set down the paper bag to exchange it with belt cuffs.

"This may seem scary, but we're going to have to restrain you for your protection and ours," Father Durand said handing two cuffs to Olivier. They took their place on either side of her and began to cuff her to the arms and legs of the chair.

"That should do," Father Durand stated as he turned to retrieve his Bible. He passed a small bottle to Olivier and whispered something to him in French. He opened his Bible, and began to read, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Olivier flicked the bottle at Taina as Father Durand read. It was only water, but her face contorted as if it were causing her the utmost discomfort.

"What are you doing!?" she shouted at Olivier over Father Durand's reading. Olivier didn't respond, but simply continued flicking water onto her. "Please, stop," she begged as she began to flinch with each hit of water on her skin. "Please. Stop!" she asked again. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and every time the water hit her skin it only got hotter. Olivier gave the bottle one more flick as the scripture came to a close, and it was the final straw. "STOP IT!" Taina screamed. Her voice was deep and gritty, and the force from her scream was enough to shake the room. Her lips curled back in a snarl that was too aggressive to be human.

"I think we've made it through. The sign, Olivier," Father Durand said. They both made the sign of the cross saying the prayer, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

"The holy trinity: two in the hands and one through the _feeeeeeeeet_ ," Taina said with a whisper that changed from a hiss into a low, throaty growl.

Father Durand and Olivier both stared at her completely speechless. It wasn't Father Durand's first time dealing with cases like hers, but he had never known of an entity this aggressive with such power besides the Devil himself.

"What's the matter Priest, forget your _amennnnn?_ "

Olivier's jaw tensed. He could hear Taina, but at the same time- he couldn't. It was as if she were being talked over with the way her voice morphed in and out of the growls that came as she talked.

"Tell me your name," Father Durand commanded. Taina tilted her head as if curious to the words coming out of Father Durand's mouth. "I command you, tell me your name." A smile crept slowly across Taina's face. The folding of her flesh around her mouth seemed to squelch like leather being pulled taught. The air in the room began to grow even heavier as the presence that had entered into her body made its power known. The creaking of the wood in the rafters and floors filled the air as the atmosphere seemed to collapse in on them.

"Demon, I bind you in the name of Christ our Lord!" Father Durand was able to force out despite the thinning air.

Taina took in a deep breath before her head fell limp. The air in the room felt lighter now, and a false sense of peace washed over them.

"My dear boy," Father Durand said to Olivier as he made the sign of the cross again, "this is going to be a long and drawn out fight..."

* * *

 **Father Durand said: "Knowledge of the unknown is a sure sign of possession. If my suspicions are correct, then she will be too."**


	11. Liberation

Taina stood at the window of her hotel room looking out into the darkness of the Toulouse streets. France was very different from England. The days were brighter and the nights were dry- something that was considered a blessing to have back at base. She listened to the muffled sounds of Olivier praying in the next room over, and she began to wonder what things he prayed for. _Listen..._ Taina shook her head, "No." It wanted her to hear, but why? Didn't prayer cause these things to grow weak? _LISTEN_ , it commanded even louder. Her head snapped towards the wall where Olivier's voice came, and her legs began to walk over against her will. Taina now stood in front of the wall. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears as fear shook through her. She dropped to her knees and slowly leaned against the wall pressing her ear to the sheetrock.

 _"...et pour protéger Emma car je suis loin d'elle. Amen."_

Taina smiled to herself. He sounded so genuine and calm. A bit like Dominic when they were alone together. Why it wanted her to listen was beyond her until it began to whisper to her again. She grimaced as it said vile and very rude things about Olivier.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Be quiet." Taina said with a wavering voice. Her ears burned and ached as the voice inside her head grew louder, screaming at her with enough power that it physically affected her. Taina screamed falling to her knees and gripping her ears and pressing her palms to them as hard as she could. It didn't help. What could you do when the overwhelming sound was inside your head? She felt hands on her shoulders and looked up to see Olivier standing in front of her with Father Durand's rosary. She lifted her arms to him and he helped her up placing the rosary swiftly around her neck. The yelling in her mind went silent as quickly as it became loud.

"Thank you, Olivier..." Taina whispered running her hands through her hair.

"Do you need a prayer?"

Taina sniffled nodding her head slowly, "It would be appreciated." Olivier pulled his own rosary out from beneath his shirt and took hold of one of Taina's hands. He held onto his rosary with the other and bowed his head to pray, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee..."

* * *

Father Durand opened his Bible as Olivier finished strapping Taina in.

"Remember to show him," Taina said focused on the floor.

"Ah, ouais, thanks for reminding me," Olivier said grabbing the beaded chain that hung around her neck.

"Show me what?" Father Durand asked looking up from his Bible.

Olivier held his fist outwards and Father Durand presented him with an open palm. The rosary Father Durand had bestowed to Taina for protection outside of his home was intact except for one new detail. The crucifix on the end was bent backwards and covered with ash.

"She found it that way when she woke up this morning."

Father Durand stared at it for a long while as he slowly nodded. "I've never seen anything like this before. I must say, I was skeptical of these things, but now I- I don't know what to think." Olivier said looking over his shoulder at Taina.

"Just because you don't believe in the Devil it doesn't make him not real," Father Durand said placing his rosary aside. "Now, let's get to it once again."

Taina's eyes rolled upward as Olivier turned towards her wrapping his rosary around his hand. Father Durand hastily flipped through his Bible to the book of Mark as the air grew heavy around them. He had seen entities make themselves known before the commence of an exorcism, but never bringing the weight of their full power beforehand. He motioned to Olivier, and they began to read from highlighted scriptures, causing Taina to cringe and writhe in her seat as she had done before.

"For he said unto him, 'Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit!'," Father Durand read aloud as Taina growled and snarled. "And Jesus rebuked him, saying,-"

 _"Hold thy peace, and come out of him..."_

Father Durand and Olivier simultaneously paused as they stared at her.

 _"In my name shall they cast out devils.."_ she seethed following with a gruff laugh. _"Woe is Jesus, woe is me- release her Satan, releaa-ase herrr-rr!"_ it mocked through her.

Father Durand grabbed Olivier's attention to continue reading from the scriptures when his phone began to ring.

"Olivier, I have to take this- keep reading from where I left off. Don't speak to it if it speaks to you, alright? The Lord is with you," Father Durand said handing the Bible over before slipping out of the room. Olivier stared at Taina who now watched him. She was dark around her eyes, and they seemed sunken- as if she hadn't slept in years.

"Uh... And forthwith, Jesus gave them leave-"

 _"Pourquoi ne pries-tu pas encore pour Emmanuelle?"_ Taina said in a low voice.

Olivier stopped reading to look above the pages at Taina. All the time that they've had to spend together so far, she had only spoken in English or Portuguese. What were the chances she would be fluent in French?

"What would the little Priest think of your _devotion_ to your faith if he knew how bad you coveted your rival's woman?"

Olivier had started to protest, but he closed his mouth afraid of what consequence would be bestowed upon him for not listening to Father Durand's command. Taina twisted in her seat and stood up, snapping out of her restraints like they were no more than licorice tied poorly around her wrists and ankles. Olivier opened his mouth again to call out to Father Durand, but he was paralyzed with shock.

"What's the matter? Afraid of being denied his good graces if you speak to me? What if he knew about how you watch her without her knowing? How you don't even have the decency to look away. What if he knew how bad you wanted to get into her bed? How you long to hear her moan your name while your between her legs." Taina asked before lying down on the floor and spreading her legs. She drug her tongue across her lips, smiling up at Olivier before moaning, _"Oh, Olivier, viens en moi."_

Olivier fell backwards, scooting away from her against the wall beside the door. That last sentence didn't sound like Taina's voice. That last sentence sounded as if it had came straight from the mouth of Emma herself. The door to the room swung back open and Father Durand re-entered.

"Olivier! What happened?" he asked looking between Olivier and a giggling Taina.

"Sh-she spoke to me in French and another woman's voice."

Father Durand helped Olivier stand and took back the Bible.

"Stay strong, don't let it mess with you," he said before reading more scriptures.

Olivier joined back in on the reading, making the sign of the cross with the rosary around his hand. Taina's body arched as if she were writhing with excruciating pain. She turned over, and began convulsing as sounds of retching escaped her. Olivier could see where blood had begun to pool on the floor. Father Durand began to read louder as the creaking wood of his house begun to drown out their voices. Taina rolled back over, and Olivier watched as her throat bulged and rippled. His gaze moved upwards towards her mouth where blood steadily flowed. He could see something black making its way past her lips before falling next to her face. It happened two more times before Taina fell motionless.

"Taina?" Father Durand called to her. She didn't move. "Taina!?" Father Durand called again.

The creaking of the wood became overwhelming as heavy knocks sounded everywhere from the roof, to the walls, and even the floor. Olivier stepped forward and placed two fingers lightly on her neck to check for a pulse. The flutter was there, but it was lighter and slower than it should have been. Olivier looked down beside her at just what it was that fell out of her mouth. He took a shaky hand and reached down, picking one of the black objects up and holding it close to inspect it. He swallowed hard. It was a nail. He turned to Father Durand and waved him over. He presented the nail to Father Durand who took it to inspect it as well. It was thick, heavy, and very jagged. He looked down to see two more covered in blood lying beside her. They had made leeway. She was almost free, but now that she was unconscious, she risked being taken over once again.

* * *

Taina opened her eyes to a warm, bright white hallway. A few feet in front of her were a flight of stairs leading up and another off to the right leading down. This all seemed too familiar to her. As if she had been here before. The faint strumming of a guitar caught her attention. She turned around and saw a white door about a hundred feet away. Even the music behind the door seemed familiar. Taina began to slowly walk towards the door, the music growing louder as she made her way to it. She reached out with one hand and her fingertips grazed the cool metal of the knob. She should have been frightened, but her hearth instead pounded with excitement. She took a deep breath and turned the knob to push open the door. The first thing she saw upon opening the door was a single window on a dark brick wall. The sky was a vibrant blue, and the light shining in indirectly from the sun lit the room just above being dim. She walked over to the window and looked outside to see tires, targets, and cones scattered around a partly fenced and partly walled-in yard. Hereford?

"I've been wondering when you'd get here."

Taina turned around and looked towards the bed that sat against the wall. She smiled, sighing heavily as tears fell from her eyes. Her voice quivered as she softly spoke, "I've been looking for you this whole time..."

* * *

 **Olivier says: "And to protect Emma while I'm away. Amen."**

 **Taina asked him: "Why don't you pray again for Emmanuelle?"**


	12. Caligo

**Well, it's the end. I thank you all for sticking out the wait for the updates on this story, and although I wish I could have made it 13 chapters, it seems that I have to close the curtains here in chapter 12. The support from all who have been faithful readers/followers/reviewers of mine means way more than you can imagine. You guys truly make the writing experience great. I hope this chapter serves you well. Enjoy~**

* * *

Taina inhaled the familiar rugged scent of Dominic's fabled leather jacket. It had been a long time since she'd felt the slightly rough, porous material, or smelled the Cedarwood oil he used to treat it. The soft strumming of the acoustic guitar used to play Dominic's favorite song wrapped them in it's melody as they slow danced in the middle of the room.

 _You're safe Babe, from the noises in your head..._

"I miss you so much," Taina said with a shaky voice as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

 _You're safe Babe-_

"I know... I've been looking over your shoulder ever since. Why didn't you tell me?"

 _..from the voices in your head..._

"I didn't want you to worry about me. It wasn't easy for me to deal with, I didn't know how it would have been for you..."

"Taina," Dominic said sternly stopping in place, "I love you- your problems are mine. Don't you think a heads up before I died would have been better?"

Taina's lips pressed together tightly as she fought back an onset of tears. Dominic sighed taking Taina's hand that rest on his shoulder in his own hand.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened. If we could have prevented it, but we didn't, then oh well; what can we do about it now?"

Taina brung the back of Dominic's hand to her lips. She kissed his hand for a long time as more tears flooded over the span of her cheeks. "I was never worthy of you," she whispered as she pressed his hand to her cheek.

"Hey," Dominic said cupping her chin in his free hand, "Never, _ever,_ say that again. I couldn't have imagined my life without you."

Dominic placed his hands on either side of Taina's face and used his thumbs to wipe her tears away. He kissed the top of her head and rest his forehead against hers touching the tip of his nose to the bridge of hers.

"I need you, Taina, but the team needs you more."

Taina pulled back to look up at Dominic who looked down at her with a hint of pain.

"Wha-?"

Dominic pulled her towards the door and gripped the handle, "They need you now. I'll always be right here when you need me."

"NO!" Taina screamed pulling back. Dominic looked up at her completely caught off guard. "I want to stay here with you."

Dominic let go of the door handle to step towards her, "Do you know what you're saying?" Taina nodded slowly wiping her free hand across her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Taina nodded again as she locked her fingers in with his. Dominic pulled her to him and wrapped his free arm around her waist. She looked up just as he began to lean in and their lips met in what was possibly the sincerest kiss they had ever shared. The music and the world around them seemed to fade away. Nothing in this moment mattered more than Taina was finally happy. Finally free. But most importantly, finally back with Dominic...

* * *

Father Durand and Olivier shouted the Lord's Prayer as they rest their hands on Taina's shoulders. A hellish wind swirled around the small room catching loose sheets of paper in its fury. The creaking of wood beams, whistling wind, and banging on the furniture around them drowning out their voices. Taina's body convulsed heavily as Father Durand and Olivier prayed over her. A disembodied growl escaped her throat as the words of the prayer tormented the devil inside of her body.

"In the name of thy Lord Jesus Christ I command you demon, _TELL ME YOUR NAME!"_

The loud rasp of a deep breath sounded over all other sounds as "Taina" took in a deep breath.

 _"Calii-iigoooo! Ca-liiiii-gooooo!"_

Father Durand placed the crucifix of his rosary against Taina's head, "Caligo, I see you- and command that you release this daughter of Jehovah to return to hell. You have no standing in this domain. I command that you never return to her, for she is now protected by the blood of our Lord God. Amen..."

The wind, creaking, and pounding seemed to stop as instantly as the 'n' rolled off of Father Durand's tongue. The only sounds now were the soft fluttering of the sheets of falling paper and a silent gurgle coming from Taina's throat. The darkness around her eyes and the small cracks in her skin faded gradually yet quickly. The air felt lighter, and the sunshine that returned through the windows felt warmer than usual. The atmosphere of the room felt tranquil and liberating.

"Taina?" Father Durand asked as he placed a hand on her head. "Taina!?"

Olivier placed two fingers against the soft spot just under her jawline. The usual flutter of a pulse wasn't there. He checked her wrist and felt nothing there as well before placing a hand on her chest. Olivier sighed, shaking his head slowly. Father Durand stared at him in disbelief before looking back down at Taina's now lifeless body. There was a rapping at the door which Olivier was quick to get. Hermione came bouncing in before Olivier had hardly opened the door. A sadness now befell them as she rubbed herself against one of Taina's legs before lying between her feet. She gave a weak mew as her ears fell flat on the back of her head.

"I'll call my director and let her know we're coming back early..." Olivier said running a hand through his hair.

Father Durand nodded slowly as he turned to take a seat. He had been a priest for over half of his life and he had never lost someone. He was in just as much shock as Olivier. Especially to a soul such as Taina's.

"I've arranged for an ambulance to pick her up. We'll be leaving tomorrow. Je suis désolé, Pere Durand," Olivier said placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.

Father Durand placed a hand on top of his as he stared at the floor. The next twenty minutes would be the longest of their life as they waited on the ambulance to arrive. Olivier ran his hands over his face as he walked to Father Durand's door. He wanted to say something more to Father Durand, but he didn't know what else to say.

"I'll see you again very soon," Olivier said giving Father Durand a small wave before stepping out.

"Take care of yourself, and remember to be safe, Olivier. The battle is never truly over," Father Durand said as he watched Olivier walk to his car. He watched Olivier drive away as he began to break down. Although his home life was returning to normal, it was still very different. It was just him, his cats, and now- his guilt.

* * *

 **Sao Paulo, Brasil**

 **Cemitério Da Consolação**

 **1:00 p.m.**

Everyone in Team Rainbow watched as an ivory casket covered in peace lilies was lowered into the ground. The sorrowful cries of Taina's mother and aunts still filled the air, even as they walked away from the burial site. Olivier stared down into the pit as he watched the graveyard workers outfit the casket in her grave. It had been nearly a week since she was moved from France to Brazil for her burial, and yet Olivier still couldn't find any good reason that she would have died. But, judging by the slight smile she wore on her face, she had found some sort of happiness wherever she were when the demon took over. The demon... Father Durand had asked him not to say anything to anyone about it. After all, who would take them seriously? Vincente stepping up beside Olivier caught his attention. He turned to look at the worn out senior unable to read his full expression due to his eye patch. The obvious frown he held his mouth in telling of either anger or sadness- maybe even a bit of both.

"Capitao, I'm so sorry," Olivier began.

Vincente turned to face Olivier. His only eye dull from years of hardness bestowed upon him still held a tone of grief. He slapped the palm of his hand down on Olivier's shoulder and gave him a weak smile.

"I know you did everything you could for her. She was plagued for a long time with that darkness over her. I know that somewhere in the universe, my daughter is happy with Dominic." He gave Olivier one final nod before placing his hands in his pockets and walking off to speak to a group of older men that could only have been Taina's brothers. The soft crunching of grass drawing near caught Olivier's attention as Emma came walking over.

"Olivier, I'm so proud of you," she said flashing him a bright and sincere smile.

"For what? She died, Emma. There was nothing I could do."

Emma shook her head, "For at least trying to help her. Everyone of us besides Dom and Vincente looked at her without thinking she may have needed help. We all looked at her like she was some kind of devil," she said turning to look down at the stone marking Taina's grave.

Olivier's heart panged with a quick hit of adrenaline. How ironic was it that Emma chose that phrase over all others?

"Well," she began turning to look back at Olivier, "I'm going to go back with the other's. Don't say 'goodbye' for too long." She stood forward on her tip toes to lean up and give him a kiss on his cheek then walking away to join Gustave, Julien, and Gilles. Olivier watched her walk away as he lingered on the kiss she had just planted on his cheek.

 _Olivier..._

He flinched, turning to look around the graveyard as he heard his name whispered in his ear. The air was still except for the rustling leaves, and the only sound came from the distant chatter of the funeral party behind him. Olivier sighed pulling his coat tightly around him. He gave one last look to Taina's headstone and turned to join the others. He looked back up to where Emma had join the rest of the GIGN squad and stopped dead in his tracks. He stared long and hard following the every move. There, amongst the mourners, a skeletal figure blacker than dark matter with sharp fingers, and on it's head- a hood.

* * *

 **I hope the ending I chose for both Caveira and Lion did this story some kind of justice. I know you all felt the story has been killer (haha) so far, and I really wanted to throw you guys through a loop with the ending. Anyway, thanks again for reading~**

 **Credit where it's due:**

 **Plot came from the move "The Rite" (available on Netflix).This story is heavily based on this movie, and if you have Netflix I HIGHLY recommend it.**

 **Song lyrics come from the movie "Heartthrob".**

 **Also, Deathly Hallows pt. 2 (I think) inspired the first bit of scenery for the reunion with Bandit.**

 **With special thanks to Ubisoft for the Operation Chimera soundtrack which helped make this story what it is.**


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